The US Air Force put the F-35 up against "the most advanced weapons systems out there" during the recent Red Flag air combat exercise, and the fight-generation stealth fighters apparently dominated — so much so that even the rookie pilots were crushing it.
Pilots from the 388th Fighter Wing's 4th Fighter Squadron took to the skies in upgraded F-35A Lightning II Joint Strike Fighters, integrating into a "Blue Force" consisting of fifth and fourth-generation fighters for a "counter air" mission against a "Red Force" made up of "equally capable" fighters.
During the intense fight, aggressor aircraft blinded many of the "blue" fourth-generation aircraft using electronic attack capabilities, such as those advanced adversaries might employ in battle.
"Even in this extremely challenging environment, the F-35 didn't have many difficulties doing its job," Col. Joshua Wood, 388th Operations Group commander, explained in a US Air Force statement summarizing the exercise results.
The F-35A participated in Red Flag, the service's top air combat exercise, for the first time two years ago. At that time, the powerful stealth aircraft was only at its initial operating capability, yet it still destroyed the opposition with a 20:1 kill ratio.
This year, pilots were flying F-35s with upgrades offering improved combat capabilities and maneuverability, making the aircraft more lethal in air combat. The Block 3F software upgrades brought the aircraft up to full warfighting capability.
The F-35A is "exceeding our expectations when it comes to not only being able to survive, but to prosecute targets," Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Dave Goldfein said Tuesday, according to Air Force Times.
I just gotta cast stones at this. viper and eagle pilots probably had blindfolds and sitting on their hands according to exercise ROE. visual with fox2 and guns when you get into a knife fight.
ReplyDeletelast thing a lot of f22&35 pilots will see before they get smoked is their Multipurpose displays if they keep the training so ridiculously unrealistic. whose ass are the generals blowing smoke up, the pilots? bullshit. I'm callin it.
fifth and sixth gen against "equally capable fighters" what were they emulating, SU-9s and MiG-19s?
ReplyDeletefifth and sixth gen fighters have a button marked "emmis inhibt" which takes out half the EW package of the newer aircraft surveillance systems. IR sensors and eyeballs get down and look up. recall the basic defensive system of the F-117 was to be quiet and cool and cruise in high and drop ordnance down the poop chute.
an "equally capable" defender is going to attrit your force somewhat the same as you will hit them. be realistic. this cognitive dissonance shit needs to stop somewhere. if this is how you train to fight the air battle, you will die and the forces you defend will die and your mission will fail. forces must train against the worst case scenario to enable them to adapt and overcome. Forces learn the wrong things when they do not fail in training. they learn overconfidence, and come to believe all their potential enemies are incompetent asshats worthy only of arrogant contempt.
Oh, I rant way too much.my bad...
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