Eurofighters at Langley AFB for joint training with the F-22s

Originally posted by nwtrucker
Here's a thought, when LM is ready, have the French, the Euros, the russians and the Americans bring their toys and have a shoot-off.

Everyone displays the required abilities the best they can and decide based on performance, cost and longevity.

No more hype/airshow displays like a fashion show.

Where the rubber meets the road decides it.....

edit on 23-2-2013 by nwtrucker because: spelling error

just because something is designed to win competitions does not make it the best............

reply to post by pikestaff


Hmm, maybe not. But it would be closer than "air displays" at Paris. "Competion" is what these platforms are about, I would guess.

There'd have to be enough variety/scenarios to fully explore the potentials of each, still ...naw... then what would we argue about??? Forget it...

reply to post by Zaphod58


They key phrase there is

"Without a helmet, that means the missile will need a very tight cue from somewhere,"

The F-22 can still receive targeting data via BACN/Link-16/IFDL/etc.

While I agree the F-22 may not be using the -9X to its FULL potential, it is still easily an improvement over the -9M and the most capable system out there.

reply to post by Pants3204


And the pilots agree. They just want to be able to take full advantage of the missile. As the pilot states, they can get target info from another source, but you can't always take advantage of that in combat. If you're in a furball, your wingman might be too busy to help out, or there might be no one in position to see the one you are shooting at. A helmet mounted sight would make you independent of another aircraft for target info.

reply to post by Zaphod58


It looks like the raptor demo team will be up my way in August. Just across the border from where I live is the Abottsford Int'l Airshow, this year Aug.9 thru 11th. Really looking foreward to it.

It used to be a monster airshow back in the day. Budgets cuts in all the militaries are slowly killing a lot of the non-military base air shows.

reply to post by nwtrucker


A lot of them are getting cut. The Navy is even talking about at least temporarily disbanding the Blue Angels after sequestration takes effect (which is stupid because that will cost more than leaving them intact).

Originally posted by Zaphod58
reply to post by nwtrucker

 

A lot of them are getting cut. The Navy is even talking about at least temporarily disbanding the Blue Angels after sequestration takes effect (which is stupid because that will cost more than leaving them intact).

It's usual logic with government budget cuts---always loudly cut the most public and desired symbol first (and cut the least defensible waste last).

reply to post by mbkennel


Judging by the crowds at the Avalon show in Australia, that one isn't going away soon.

I'm wondering if any of our members from down under have gotten to see the show this year and their opinions of the Raptor display.

It must have caused some effect. There's a bunch of new vids on You Tube fron this year's Avalon show re the F-22.

Here's a great shot of the British Typhoon with the F-22s. (Scroll down to the second picture on the screen.)

reply to post by nwtrucker


I'd say that I dealt with that KC-10 a few times, but we handled every one of them at one point or another. Nice picture though.

I got to see the Tornado GR.4s at Nellis, and some F-22s, but missed the Typhoons that day. I was supposed to be back there for four days (parked at the Petro right outside the Vegas Motorspeedway, which is right next to Nellis), but as usual, I couldn't get there (no freight to there). So instead, I'm hoping for an F-35 sighting in Ft. Worth.

I know that Petro well.LOL. Close enough to intrigue, far enough to frustrate.

No damn truck stops in Ft. Worth worth mentioning....

reply to post by nwtrucker


Oh, I found the one that is pure bliss. It's a Petro, so it has Iron Skillet, but it has a Popeye's in it too, and a Jack in the Box across the street. We're only 22 miles from Lockheed, so I might get to see an F-35 by Friday morning.

reply to post by Zaphod58


Yep, only Petro with a smoking section in the restaruant....or at least it used to be there...

The food is decent as well. Popeye's??/ jack in the box?? I'd rather eat MREs...

reply to post by nwtrucker


Oh I used to love Jack in the Crack. Have only had it a few times since 2006. My other half loves chicken, so Popeye's is perfect for her.

Hey, had some neat sightings in Yuma the other day getting loaded. Four F-5s and a V-22 (first one for me) went overhead going into the MCAS there.

reply to post by Zaphod58


Wow!! F-5s?? I didn't know we still had em! Trainers?

reply to post by nwtrucker


Aggressors. The Navy uses them for Top Gun still. The Navy has 30, the Marines 11, and there are three F-5F two seat versions still flying.

reply to post by Zaphod58


Really?? I understood they closed the top Gun center in San Diego years ago. Did they just move it and continue the program elsewhere?

reply to post by nwtrucker


It went from NAS Miramar, which became MCAS Miramar to NAS Fallon in Nevada.

reply to post by Zaphod58


Zaph, I just saw that the Indian AF is participating in Red flag 2013.

I'd assume it would be the SU-30MKIs again. That would give the Raptors AND the Typhoons a good "look-see".

I don't think the Eurofighter has been exposed to the SU yet. The question is is it the 2012-3 version or are they making appearances at different times?

You have anything on this?

reply to post by nwtrucker


I know 13-3 just ended, it had GR4s (I saw them) and Typhoons (missed them). When I looked the other day, the lineup for 13-4 and beyond hasn't been released yet. They'll probably be at 13-4, which is July 15-26.