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Originally posted by hp1229
Hahaha...how true. UCAV are being used activtely in the middle east and afghanistan by remote pilots sitting in some air force base within the US. Amazing it is going back to who is the best JoyStick Jockey or Pinball Wizard
Originally posted by justwokeup
Don't confuse the VTOL equipment (ducted fan and vectoring nozzle) fitted to one model of the F-35 (the B version which will probably get cancelled I reckon) with the type of thrust vectoring fitted to the F-22 and some of the more advanced Su-27 spin offs.
Its not the same thing. The nozzle only rotates as a function of deploying the lift fan transitioning to the hover. It does not deploy actively through the envelope to endow the aircraft with increased manoeuvrability. (The F22 does, also the SU-30 MKI flown by the Indians).
The vast majority of F-35s (A and C) have no vectoring nozzles at all. In terms of manoeuvrability the F-35 is specced to be no better than the F-16 it replaces. Its a compromise due to trying for an all rounder.
Originally posted by Dimitri Dzengalshlevi
Originally posted by hp1229
Hahaha...how true. UCAV are being used activtely in the middle east and afghanistan by remote pilots sitting in some air force base within the US. Amazing it is going back to who is the best JoyStick Jockey or Pinball Wizard
You call American UCAV use over remote Afghanistan and Pakistan to be air supremacy?
For one, a good part of UCAV use there, especially in Pakistan, is under CIA control. This has little to do with the military strategy, and certainly has nothing to do with "air supremacy".
Secondly, those UCAVs only fly around because there is ZERO enemy airforce to be afraid of, and they fly above most MANPADS ranges. In fact, there's been a few reports of Taliban/Al Qaeda militants downing UCAVs with MANPADS like Stingers or Iglas.
I fail to see how this is "air supremacy". It's more like if there wasn't American aircraft in the skies there, then there wouldn't be anything flying.
UCAV air supremacy is fantasy. Just like people who rally around rail gun technology. It's all in infancy stages and by the time the Americans improve these technologies, you can bet your ass that rival nations will have their own improved technology to counter the American threat.
Originally posted by Seagle
reply to post by TedHodgson
Of course the US sells China military technology. The US are the global arms dealers and they keep the world in a constant state of conflict because its good business. They don't have anything else that they can export.
Countries that don't want to buy military equipment from the US soon find themselves in a situation where they really need it.
Originally posted by Seagle
reply to post by TedHodgson
Of course the US sells China military technology. The US are the global arms dealers and they keep the world in a constant state of conflict because its good business. They don't have anything else that they can export.
Countries that don't want to buy military equipment from the US soon find themselves in a situation where they really need it.