Comments on: F-35B “Warthog” http://defensetech.org/2009/08/20/f-35b-warthog/ The Future of the Military, Law Enforcement and National Security Sat, 26 May 2012 04:14:31 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: xtbirdbill http://defensetech.org/2009/08/20/f-35b-warthog/#comment-258294 xtbirdbill Tue, 07 Feb 2012 03:37:38 +0000 http://deftech.usmilblog.com/2009/08/20/f-35b-warthog/#comment-258294 1 bullet in the ultra f35 and its gone the days of air to air combat are just about gone. When was the last time we had a air to air war with alot of acft???? Sure the F35 looks cool and does alot of cool things but can it hang over a battle field shooting up tanks/people /equipment and take all kinds of rounds throught it get home fix it and send it back out. Can the F35 and build new A10s. 1 bullet in the ultra f35 and its gone the days of air to air combat are just about gone. When was the last time we had a air to air war with alot of acft???? Sure the F35 looks cool and does alot of cool things but can it hang over a battle field shooting up tanks/people /equipment and take all kinds of rounds throught it get home fix it and send it back out. Can the F35 and build new A10s.

]]> By: Voice of Reason http://defensetech.org/2009/08/20/f-35b-warthog/#comment-201293 Voice of Reason Sat, 22 May 2010 03:04:35 +0000 http://deftech.usmilblog.com/2009/08/20/f-35b-warthog/#comment-201293 Some folks have missed some points about the F-35: 1) It's stealthy. 2) It's VTOL - in other words, it can creep slowly "through the weeds", just like a helo or an AV-8. My only 2 questions would be: 1) Does the 25mm gun do as good a job on tanks as the GAU-8? 2) Is the F-35 as tough as the A-10? If the answers to those 2 questions are "yes", then the F-35 will be a great CAS bird. If either one is "No", then we need to think about reopening the A-10 production line. End of Story... Some folks have missed some points about the F-35:

1) It’s stealthy.
2) It’s VTOL — in other words, it can creep slowly “through the weeds”, just like a helo or an AV-8.

My only 2 questions would be:

1) Does the 25mm gun do as good a job on tanks as the GAU-8?
2) Is the F-35 as tough as the A-10?

If the answers to those 2 questions are “yes”, then the F-35 will be a great CAS bird. If either one is “No”, then we need to think about reopening the A-10 production line.

End of Story…

]]> By: Chris http://defensetech.org/2009/08/20/f-35b-warthog/#comment-92489 Chris Thu, 01 Oct 2009 20:13:38 +0000 http://deftech.usmilblog.com/2009/08/20/f-35b-warthog/#comment-92489 Its not stealth at all with things hanging on the wings. i cannot understand why we tossed all the eggs in to a basket that is totally unproven. Its not stealth at all with things hanging on the wings. i cannot understand why we tossed all the eggs in to a basket that is totally unproven.

]]> By: duuuuuuuuude http://defensetech.org/2009/08/20/f-35b-warthog/#comment-92487 duuuuuuuuude Fri, 25 Sep 2009 14:50:37 +0000 http://deftech.usmilblog.com/2009/08/20/f-35b-warthog/#comment-92487 "building a 3rd Generation Harrier for the RAF "... No, F-35 is superior to Harrier. Faster, stealthier, better range/payload performance. Furthermore, the close-2-bankrupt UK cannot afford to fund the RnD of an all-new jet fighter by itself. “building a 3rd Generation Harrier for the RAF “…
No, F-35 is superior to Harrier. Faster, stealthier, better range/payload performance.
Furthermore, the close-2-bankrupt UK cannot afford to fund the RnD of an all-new jet fighter by itself.

]]> By: John http://defensetech.org/2009/08/20/f-35b-warthog/#comment-92486 John Sun, 30 Aug 2009 14:30:54 +0000 http://deftech.usmilblog.com/2009/08/20/f-35b-warthog/#comment-92486 According to one of the UK's Aviation magazines that was published this week, the UK is going to split it's purchases of the F-35 between the F-35C for the Fleet Air Arm for use on our new carriers, and the F-35B for the RAF to replace the Harrier GR.9. The reasons they give is that the F-35C is 20% cheaper and has less technical problems assoicated with the design. The good thing about this is that we will have a proper carrier at last instead of these half a job harrys we were building. Bad news is that this idiotic government is still buying the flawed F-35. Add in the problems with the F-135 engine, the pork belly choice of the US Congress and we have a disaster in the making? The UK would be better have cancelling the F-35, buying either the Rafele of the F/A-18E for the Navy and building a 3rd Generation Harrier for the RAF along with buying the Super Tucano Light Strike Aircraft. According to one of the UK’s Aviation magazines that was published this week, the UK is going to split it’s purchases of the F-35 between the F-35C for the Fleet Air Arm for use on our new carriers, and the F-35B for the RAF to replace the Harrier GR.9. The reasons they give is that the F-35C is 20% cheaper and has less technical problems assoicated with the design. The good thing about this is that we will have a proper carrier at last instead of these half a job harrys we were building. Bad news is that this idiotic government is still buying the flawed F-35. Add in the problems with the F-135 engine, the pork belly choice of the US Congress and we have a disaster in the making?
The UK would be better have cancelling the F-35, buying either the Rafele of the F/A-18E for the Navy and building a 3rd Generation Harrier for the RAF along with buying the Super Tucano Light Strike Aircraft.

]]> By: mike j http://defensetech.org/2009/08/20/f-35b-warthog/#comment-92485 mike j Fri, 28 Aug 2009 07:50:15 +0000 http://deftech.usmilblog.com/2009/08/20/f-35b-warthog/#comment-92485 yeah yeah yeah... modern air defenses... You mean the ones that aren't anywhere near any of the places we've been fighting in about two decades? Anyway, that measure/ countermeasure game never quits, so why worry? Don't tell me what something can do til it does it. New high tech crap hasn't made war any easier yet. We've ignored and forgotten so much hard-gained knowledge, and it's definitely gotten people unnecessarily killed. yeah yeah yeah…
modern air defenses…
You mean the ones that aren’t anywhere near any of the places we’ve been fighting in about two decades? Anyway, that measure/ countermeasure game never quits, so why worry?
Don’t tell me what something can do til it does it. New high tech crap hasn’t made war any easier yet.
We’ve ignored and forgotten so much hard-gained knowledge, and it’s definitely gotten people unnecessarily killed.

]]> By: pfcem http://defensetech.org/2009/08/20/f-35b-warthog/#comment-92484 pfcem Fri, 28 Aug 2009 04:52:26 +0000 http://deftech.usmilblog.com/2009/08/20/f-35b-warthog/#comment-92484 mike j, It is YOU who does not get it. Modern air defenses makes your antiquated idea of CAS a no-win game. And the systems on the F-35 make it such that it can locate, identify & engage ground targets more effectively, more quickly & MUCH safer from 20,000+' than an A-10 can flying 'low & slow'. mike j,
It is YOU who does not get it.
Modern air defenses makes your antiquated idea of CAS a no-win game.
And the systems on the F-35 make it such that it can locate, identify & engage ground targets more effectively, more quickly & MUCH safer from 20,000+’ than an A-10 can flying ‘low & slow’.

]]> By: mike j http://defensetech.org/2009/08/20/f-35b-warthog/#comment-92483 mike j Thu, 27 Aug 2009 02:43:59 +0000 http://deftech.usmilblog.com/2009/08/20/f-35b-warthog/#comment-92483 pfcem- That's not CAS, that's using a jet as ~$100mil SP artillery. CAS means a lot more than 9-line, but neither you nor USAF get that, apparently. pfcem–
That’s not CAS, that’s using a jet as ~$100mil SP artillery. CAS means a lot more than 9-line, but neither you nor USAF get that, apparently.

]]> By: pfcem http://defensetech.org/2009/08/20/f-35b-warthog/#comment-92482 pfcem Wed, 26 Aug 2009 06:49:17 +0000 http://deftech.usmilblog.com/2009/08/20/f-35b-warthog/#comment-92482 I see than Captain Ned is not the only one who needs to join the 21st century... Like it or not, CAS is now done by dropping guided munitions from 20,000'+. Deal with it. I see than Captain Ned is not the only one who needs to join the 21st century…
Like it or not, CAS is now done by dropping guided munitions from 20,000′+. Deal with it.

]]> By: Matt http://defensetech.org/2009/08/20/f-35b-warthog/#comment-92481 Matt Tue, 25 Aug 2009 23:11:57 +0000 http://deftech.usmilblog.com/2009/08/20/f-35b-warthog/#comment-92481 Random thoughts/replies: IIRC the machining for the A-10 and B-52 have long since been destroyed. Creating more of these would thus involve a lot more than warming up the assembly lines again, to the point where you might as well design a new airframe. The B-52's longevity stems partially from its flight profile. It spends most of its hours in the high stratosphere, above the weather, so there is little wear on the airframe. The A-10 is built very ruggedly, but I'd still expect them to wear out sooner than the B-52s. The F-35 isn't meant to do CAS at all, and so it doesn't need anything like the toughness that the A-10 has. Making the F-35 do CAS would be almost as stupid as making the A-10 do high-altitude deep strike against modern air defenses. USAF does have an unaddressed need for a CAS vehicle to replace the A-10, but given that branch's disdain for the job, it's probably for the best that SOCOM may procure Super Tucanos and do it themselves. Random thoughts/replies:
IIRC the machining for the A-10 and B-52 have long since been destroyed. Creating more of these would thus involve a lot more than warming up the assembly lines again, to the point where you might as well design a new airframe.
The B-52’s longevity stems partially from its flight profile. It spends most of its hours in the high stratosphere, above the weather, so there is little wear on the airframe. The A-10 is built very ruggedly, but I’d still expect them to wear out sooner than the B-52s.
The F-35 isn’t meant to do CAS at all, and so it doesn’t need anything like the toughness that the A-10 has. Making the F-35 do CAS would be almost as stupid as making the A-10 do high-altitude deep strike against modern air defenses. USAF does have an unaddressed need for a CAS vehicle to replace the A-10, but given that branch’s disdain for the job, it’s probably for the best that SOCOM may procure Super Tucanos and do it themselves.

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