F-35As perform 5600 mile simulated strike

Two Dutch F-35s, as part of both the F-35 OT&E and a test of their Rapid Reaction capability, departed Edwards for a strike on the Vlieland Bombing Range, before landing at Volkel Air Base to participate in the Dutch Days Air Show. The plan was to fly the mission nonstop, but problems with the KDC-10 escort forced them to land in Goose Bay to wait for another tanker. A single USAF C-17 carried 18 maintenance personnel and key spares for the aircraft. Two GBU-49s and two GBU-12s were dropped on targets using data packets and designators from Dutch JTACs.

theaviationist.com...

originally posted by: Zaphod58
Two Dutch F-35s, as part of both the F-35 OT&E and a test of their Rapid Reaction capability, departed Edwards for a strike on the Vlieland Bombing Range, before landing at Volkel Air Base to participate in the Dutch Days Air Show. The plan was to fly the mission nonstop, but problems with the KDC-10 escort forced them to land in Goose Bay to wait for another tanker. A single USAF C-17 carried 18 maintenance personnel and key spares for the aircraft. Two GBU-49s and two GBU-12s were dropped on targets using data packets and designators from Dutch JTACs.

theaviationist.com...

Good to see some good news on this aircraft.

Let's hope it can shoot from that far away most of the time because it apparently can't dogfight.

It doesn't matter if it's only a SMALL issue with one particular aspect, because history tells us it WILL be exposed.

From the early days of Eddie Rickenbacker and Manfred von Richthofen (The Red Baron), fighter pilots have found the best path to a win scenario is to expose your enemies physical weaknesses. Getting them into a slow bank dive, exposing engine limitations, and, more recently-important, relying on range advantage are COMMON exploits that REAL pilots train for. If you can execute a plan to force them into a match up weakness you will usually win.

You guys don't think the other pilots know this?


www.fliegerfaust.com...

a reply to: Tempter

It “dog fights” just fine man.

a reply to: Tempter

The F-35 has gone up against as many as four smaller, more nimble opponents at a time and easily won. It has racked up 20-1 kill ratios at Red Flag. It fights just fine.

originally posted by: Zaphod58
a reply to: Tempter

The F-35 has gone up against as many as four smaller, more nimble opponents at a time and easily won. It has racked up 20-1 kill ratios at Red Flag. It fights just fine.

So that article about the red x's means nothing? Red X's are a daily thing? *wink wink

a reply to: Tempter

Show me a stealth aircraft that doesn't see a number of red x writeups.