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Not necessarily true. The F-16 can't lock on with AMRAAM, so it would have to rely on 9X Sidewinders, which might not be able to lock on via IR depending on the

by greedo 9y ago

Not necessarily true. The F-16 can't lock on with AMRAAM, so it would have to rely on 9X Sidewinders, which might not be able to lock on via IR depending on the initial engagement. The F-35 does have some IR masking (not as much as the F-22), and it will have the 9X Sidewinders as well. And F-35 test pilots have continually said that the ACM performance is underrated. Sure a "clean" F-16 might be able to outmaneuver an F-35, but F-16's don't fly clean. All their shit hangs off their pylons, and cause drag etc. So it's not clear who would win. If you factor in all the sensors the F-35 has, and the fact that it will almost always get first shot on the Falcon, it's no contest. In Red Flag etc, the F-35 has dominated the F-16.

bitmapbrother 9y ago
I've been trying to find out exactly what the F-35 did during Red Flag 2017 and it's all very nebulous. I also wasn't able to find any proof that the F-35 dominated the F-16 or whether it even engaged F-16's in dogfights. When the F-16 dominated the F-35 in dogfights the excuse was that the pilots were flying the F-35 like a traditional fighter and that the software wasn't allowing them to have complete control of the plane. If these factors were indeed the issue then it would be nice to see a rematch to validate these conclusions. However, I doubt we'll ever see a rematch in public between these 2 planes ever again.
- greedo 9y ago
  It's important to remember that Red Flag etc aren't designed to validate one platform against another, but to give a holistic exercise. There are a wide array of scenarios performed at RF, where different sides have different advantages. I take claims from Cope India, RF, etc etc with a grain of salt. However, despite the media continually looking for fodder for "military waste," the consensus I've heard is that the F-35 dominates 4th gen fighters. How it will fair against the likes of the J-20/J-31/Su-57 remains to be seen. All of them have issues; and it's not as if the fights will be 1v1.

by greedo 9y ago

bitmapbrother 9y ago

I've been trying to find out exactly what the F-35 did during Red Flag 2017 and it's all very nebulous. I also wasn't able to find any proof that the F-35 dominated the F-16 or whether it even engaged F-16's in dogfights. When the F-16 dominated the F-35 in dogfights the excuse was that the pilots were flying the F-35 like a traditional fighter and that the software wasn't allowing them to have complete control of the plane. If these factors were indeed the issue then it would be nice to see a rematch to validate these conclusions. However, I doubt we'll ever see a rematch in public between these 2 planes ever again.

greedo 9y ago
It's important to remember that Red Flag etc aren't designed to validate one platform against another, but to give a holistic exercise. There are a wide array of scenarios performed at RF, where different sides have different advantages. I take claims from Cope India, RF, etc etc with a grain of salt. However, despite the media continually looking for fodder for "military waste," the consensus I've heard is that the F-35 dominates 4th gen fighters. How it will fair against the likes of the J-20/J-31/Su-57 remains to be seen. All of them have issues; and it's not as if the fights will be 1v1.