4 ms·

I guess they will structure the F48 program to avoid the failures of the F35 program.

• dodobirdlord 8y ago
  It would be pretty bizarre to refuse on principal to learn from experience. The F35 is expected to be in use through the 2060s. Part of the engineering challenge is designing around the fact that human pilots are expected to be phased out mid-lifecycle for these airframes.
  • james_s_tayler 8y ago
    The whole thing makes a lot more sense knowing just that.
    • neuronic 8y ago
      I have read countless of pieces bashing the F-35 without ever mentioning strategic details like that... I suppose propaganda and political articles tend to put a spin on everything after all...
  • threeseed 8y ago
    Not just that human pilots would be phased out. But that the F-35 is planned on being a command and control centre for a fleet of drones flying alongside it. In that context weapons capabilities and dogfighting aren't important but its key strengths in stealth and sensor unification definitely are.
    • Already__Taken 8y ago
      Isn't this being sort for beta-phase at the moment because currently the f35 doing the targeting doesn't have to be the one launching the weaponry?
    • FrojoS 8y ago
      Wouldn't the sensors and fusion system be entirely swapped out in that case, too?