Calgarypuck Forums - The Unofficial Calgary Flames Fan Community - View Single Post - Canada seeking to replace CF-18 fighter fleet

CaptainCrunch · 07-01-2015, 10:42 AM

The F-35 is not a dog fighter, and as the post above said, the day and age of dog fighting is coming to an end.

Its designed to carry the advanced Amraam which has a C variant with over a 100 km range. The Asraam which can hit a target from up to 50 kms away and the Aim-9x which is a short range all aspect weapon.

While it carries its standard air to ground guided munitions but its also designed to carry long range standoff munitions.

Sitting there and saying that it lost a dog fight to an f-16 and calling this plane a bust is disingenuous at best.

Frankly in a true combat arena with the F-35's low observable characteristics, the ability to coordinate with other assets in the area, and sensor suite. The F-35 would come in, map the area, coordinate with all of the other assets in the area (ships, ground units etc) and then sneak into extreme range and kill the f-16 before the pilot could even get into a defensible position or be in a position to fire back.

Most air to air action now is not about close range dog fighting, its about getting into a position to fire your missile before your enemy knows your there, then you shoot and turn.

Top Gun was made in the 1980's. They made the Tomcat into a dog fighter, but the Tomcat wasn't a great dog fighter, it was a plane designed to carry the Phoenix a near over horizon smart missile that would fire missiles from 190 km's away.

While the need for speed was nice, the movie would have incredibly boring if it showed Maverick going up against the so called Mig 31's and all you heard from the back seat as Maverick flew level was "locking on and firing" before you even saw those dastardly Russians.

The best way to ensure the survivability of your pilots and the ability to continue on your mission is to know what's happening in your battlefield, punch your enemy in the face before he can throw a punch at you or before they know your there, and move on.

The F-35 is designed for that.

Dog Fighting is going away because there's a risk of losing pilots due to a lucky gun shot or missile shot.

07-01-2015, 10:42 AM	#327
CaptainCrunch Norm! Join Date: Jun 2002 Exp:	The F-35 is not a dog fighter, and as the post above said, the day and age of dog fighting is coming to an end. Its designed to carry the advanced Amraam which has a C variant with over a 100 km range. The Asraam which can hit a target from up to 50 kms away and the Aim-9x which is a short range all aspect weapon. While it carries its standard air to ground guided munitions but its also designed to carry long range standoff munitions. Sitting there and saying that it lost a dog fight to an f-16 and calling this plane a bust is disingenuous at best. Frankly in a true combat arena with the F-35's low observable characteristics, the ability to coordinate with other assets in the area, and sensor suite. The F-35 would come in, map the area, coordinate with all of the other assets in the area (ships, ground units etc) and then sneak into extreme range and kill the f-16 before the pilot could even get into a defensible position or be in a position to fire back. Most air to air action now is not about close range dog fighting, its about getting into a position to fire your missile before your enemy knows your there, then you shoot and turn. Top Gun was made in the 1980's. They made the Tomcat into a dog fighter, but the Tomcat wasn't a great dog fighter, it was a plane designed to carry the Phoenix a near over horizon smart missile that would fire missiles from 190 km's away. While the need for speed was nice, the movie would have incredibly boring if it showed Maverick going up against the so called Mig 31's and all you heard from the back seat as Maverick flew level was "locking on and firing" before you even saw those dastardly Russians. The best way to ensure the survivability of your pilots and the ability to continue on your mission is to know what's happening in your battlefield, punch your enemy in the face before he can throw a punch at you or before they know your there, and move on. The F-35 is designed for that. Dog Fighting is going away because there's a risk of losing pilots due to a lucky gun shot or missile shot. __________________ My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings; Look on my Works, ye Mighty, and despair!