Trump calls for F-18 run off against F-35

a reply to: Zaphod58

Yeah, perhaps you're right. Just seems we're spending some funding to keep the pilot in the cockpit on the fighter and attack platforms.

I'm not arguing really, but I see some of this technology and it's pretty exciting (and I'm not talking about some silly FB, or Google, VR stuff, but rather the real stuff.

I agree about the A2A capabilities, but it seems we shouldn't really have to worry about that, and what we do we can deal with lower technology already developed.

I will acquiesce, in any case; I don't wish to cross swords. I actually believe collective ideas are better than individual thoughts when it comes to technology like this. Not to mention (there might be a 'couple' things I can't go into detail on...unlike yourself which I'm sure is 'thousands' of things). Don't get me wrong, I really do understand.

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

I would actually like to see UAVs doing more, and am looking forward to the next few years. Around 2020 the Navy plans to start testing an autonomous helicopter than can use see and avoid technology to locate threats on the ground and route around them without input from an operator.

That's a huge first step in an air to air UAV, and will start on the road to truly autonomous ISR platforms, which will be nice to see flying at last.

a reply to: Zaphod58

I agree.

I wish you a very merry Christmas, my friend!

I hope you are home...and/or I hope you make it there before tomorrow night.

God Bless.

Drive safe throughout these holidays.

Happy Holidays, Zaphod!!!

a reply to: nwtrucker

I like getting people nervous. Nothing like keeping people on their toes. It's a good strategy here. Come in looking like the wild card. His track record and his test scores say there's more. Generally it's just the media playing to the less educated.

That being said, the super hornet is an awesome aircraft. The end all be all to some, including me, of fourth gen strike fighters. It's not an F-35 though. The F-35 is so much more. It's the Sherman tank of high end aircraft. When it costs billions just to sit at the table, you'd rather have numbers than exclusivity. Obama shutting down the F-22 line was the worst thing to happen since B-2 program got axed. The F-35 program is costing way too much. No reason to not look into it.

The fact is Trump has publicly paid more attention to things we all seem to care in 6 weeks about than Obama has in 8 years. There has been an elephant in the room in America's military industrial complex for years and it's prime time for someone to call it out.

a reply to: Caughtlurking

The cost of the F35 is going down constantly. Compare the price per unit of the F35 @84 million, to the price per unit for an F16, built for UAE, at @100 million per. That's a significant difference...figure the F18 will be about the same as the F35, and you're getting a lesser aircraft for about the same amount of money. In the next decade or so, the F18 is going to be helpless, or virtually so, in well defended airspace--the Lightning will not be.

a reply to: Snarl

I think Congress made a mistake by banning the export of the F-22 to a country like Japan. The opportunity to reduce the per unit cost and keep production lines going for longer was lost. At this point in time the F-35 is locked in place for better or worse. My concerns about the F-35 are for another day.

a reply to: Caughtlurking

Bravo! Well said!


The only edit I'd make is it was under 'W' that the F-22 program was cut. Same SecDef for both.

originally posted by: xpert11
a reply to: Snarl

I think Congress made a mistake by banning the export of the F-22 to a country like Japan.

Thing is ... the independent capabilities of the F-22 & F-35 are generalized in the public's knowledge. You'd have to find a guy like Zaphod58 to shplain them in laymen's terms. I'm sure he could write a book ... LOL.

Their combined capabilities are usually only hinted at.

As to the export of US technology abroad: Not usually a good idea ever. The US loses lots and lots of $$$ when 'anyone' reverse engineers our costly R&D. And, as soon as that proliferates (and it always does), we have to pay again to come up with something better. That's probably why we (the general public) know more about the F-35 than the F-22. You can see lips tighten when aircraft conversations stray into the F-22's flight path.

a reply to: Zaphod58


Shouldn't the USMC have a dedicated close air support plane with high capacity and all the other mission specific toys and what not?

Tump! made them drop the price of Air force one.
so hes just Making them give a Real price.
and not Just rip you yanks off.

a reply to: Logarock

The Marines have an interesting force mix going. They have the F-35 for their baby carriers and land bases, the F-18 for the full deck carriers and land bases, Harvest HAWK for their KC-130s, and now they're working on a beast of an armed MV-22.

a reply to: buddha

But he didn't. The estimates before the meeting, for the VC-25 replacement, was $3.2-3.8B. After the meeting the Boeing CEO promised to keep prices below $4B.

Trump is a idiot.

You cant make F15 into a F35 anymore than you can turn a toyota prious into a Tank!

originally posted by: Snarl

originally posted by: xpert11
a reply to: Snarl

I think Congress made a mistake by banning the export of the F-22 to a country like Japan.

Thing is ... the independent capabilities of the F-22 & F-35 are generalized in the public's knowledge. You'd have to find a guy like Zaphod58 to shplain them in laymen's terms. I'm sure he could write a book ... LOL.

Their combined capabilities are usually only hinted at.

As to the export of US technology abroad: Not usually a good idea ever. The US loses lots and lots of $$$ when 'anyone' reverse engineers our costly R&D. And, as soon as that proliferates (and it always does), we have to pay again to come up with something better. That's probably why we (the general public) know more about the F-35 than the F-22. You can see lips tighten when aircraft conversations stray into the F-22's flight path.

But selling to trusted allies like UK, Japan, Canada ect They wont reverse engineer and sell it to the chinese ect. Hell the UK uses the USA nuke systems.
Selling it to the US enemys is stupid and would shot us in the foot too!

Of course someone of the EU countrys like France I would not trust with a stick. So you have to be selective.

Plus in the end its the USA that has to folk out paying to keep countrys like Japan and south Korea safe. Least if the USA shares its toys it can spread the defence cost and if a war does break out it will be Japan and South Korean men and women dying in the fancy US tec rather than Americans.

a reply to: Zaphod58

Issues with the Raider? Are these related with the program´s management or it has to do with the teething problems it encountered in the famous airborne test that make everyone watching go scared to hell?

a reply to: Fastmover

More the teething problems from what I understand. I don't know for certain, but that's what it sounds like. That and getting everything to play well together.

a reply to: Zaphod58

Thanks, i hope it not to be a show stopper

a reply to: Fastmover

Oh it won't be, it just means a little longer before it comes out to play.

a reply to: Zaphod58

Great!

For this thread discussion i have great expectations with the folks Trump has chosen. It could mean that F22 and F35 get to work as intended by design and not being another victim of dishonest leadership

a reply to: Zaphod58

So far I'm not very impressed by Trump. He's spouting a lot of misinformation then when the companies he is demonizing correct him he's claiming it as a victory.

Just like this F/A - 18 move, China just demoed a 5th fighter, Russia has a 5th gen fighter and he wants to stock our fleet with 4th gen stuff as a political stunt.

It's going to be a long 4 years under Trump if he continues on like this. I guess he wants to cut the budget in acquisitions so he can have his nuclear arms race.