Lockheed-Martin F-35 "Lightning II" - Joint Strike Fighter (JSF), page 5
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reply posted on 4-3-2004 @ 01:05 PM by Lampyridae
Originally posted by COOL HAND
Originally posted by Lampyridae
The A-10 was designed to cut down Warsaw Pact tanks in swathes in Western Europe. It's not suited for today's modern combat styles - precision strike, etc. It just doesn't have the inbuilt night-fighting capability and other niceties that other modern strike aircraft have.

That is why they invented the LANTIRN pod. So that planes without inherent Night Fighting capabilities can get it.

There's more to night fighting than just infrared. Terrain following radar, low-light TV, etc. A-10s have now been upgraded with somewhat rudimentary avionics, after the make-do of the 1st Gulf War.

The A-6 was the Navy's first all-weather strike aircraft, could haul an enormous bombload and drop them roght on target. But these days you only need 1 or 2 bombs on target. For sheer mass destruction we have B-2s with cluster bombs.

Okay, what do you recommend for Close Air Support?

Close Air Support? If you mean the A-6 was specifially designed for close air support, then you're mistaken. The A-10 was to be eventually be phased out by a dedicated F-16, a somewhat poor choice in my opinion! The F-16C gun pods in GW1 were a joke... but the Warthog first flew in 1972, and the Air Force plans to move on. As for the B-52, who knows...

A-6 Intruder

A-10 Warthog

Air superiority is not much of a problem for the US Navy now... the F-14's purpose was to protect carrier fleets from attack aircraft (but not nukes or nuclear cruise missiles!). But I wonder if the F-35 is up to tomorrow's air superiority role...


Where did you get that info from? The F-14 was designed as a Fleet Interceptor, meaning it was to intercept all threats to the fleets at the max range possible. To do this it was given a powerful radar that could shoot down incoming aircraft and cruise missiles.

I hope you're not suggesting that F-14s were designed to shoot down ICBMs. I did not say conventional cruise missiles. I mean cruise missiles with a nuclear warhead - they only have to get close to be effective. Also - the Navy's anti-sub net in the past was also dirt poor. And it is a fact that the Navy played "no nuking our carriers" in war games. And yes, I do know about the F-14's radar and Phoenix combination and what it is meant for. Next time, please actually read what I post.

As far as teh F-35 we will have to wait and see. Hopefully it will benefit from an improved AMRAAM, with better range, ECCM, etc..


True. But it won't be as user friendly as the Warthog!

[Edited on 4-3-2004 by Lampyridae]



reply posted on 4-3-2004 @ 01:28 PM by COOL HAND
There's more to night fighting than just infrared. Terrain following radar, low-light TV, etc. A-10s have now been upgraded with somewhat rudimentary avionics, after the make-do of the 1st Gulf War.

LANTIRN gives you LLTV and IR.

Close Air Support? If you mean the A-6 was specifially designed for close air support, then you're mistaken. The A-10 was to be eventually be phased out by a dedicated F-16, a somewhat poor choice in my opinion! The F-16C gun pods in GW1 were a joke... but the Warthog first flew in 1972, and the Air Force plans to move on. As for the B-52, who knows...

A-6's not used for CAS? Someone better tell all those Marine drivers that they weren't used for that. The A-6 was designed for both Startegic and Tactical Bombing.

I hope you're not suggesting that F-14s were designed to shoot down ICBMs. I did not say conventional cruise missiles. I mean cruise missiles with a nuclear warhead - they only have to get close to be effective. Also - the Navy's anti-sub net in the past was also dirt poor. And it is a fact that the Navy played "no nuking our carriers" in war games. And yes, I do know about the F-14's radar and Phoenix combination and what it is meant for. Next time, please actually read what I post.

No # it couldn't hit an ICBM. Excuse me for not stating that implicitly, I guess I overestimated your intelligence.

True. But it won't be as user friendly as the Warthog!

Spoken like someone who has never flown in a military aircraft.
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