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It's exactly the reality of modern fighter jets. You're describing training flights, not combat missions. It is very common for aircraft to fly missions that
by jki275 6y ago
It's exactly the reality of modern fighter jets.
You're describing training flights, not combat missions. It is very common for aircraft to fly missions that are hundreds of miles long, most of which is over enemy territory. I used to sit in CDC on a CVN and watch the missions every day during Operation Southern Watch, which wasn't even really war -- but those pilots were flying over enemy territory for many hours every day.
Same thing in Afghanistan and Iraq, every flight was essentially over enemy territory for its entire duration -- surveillance, strike, and transport. You really don't want to bail out of an aircraft in the tribal areas if there's any way to get it home.
Modern aircraft are extremely reliable, they don't break often. Modern ejection seats are extremely reliable, they don't fail often. And yet, everything I posted above is exactly correct.
- Retric 6y agoThe essentially over enemy territory and wasn’t really a war are important qualifications. Compare the odds of a downed pilot avoiding capture in a WWII bombing mission over Germany with the majority of missions over Afghanistan and it’s clear they where contested territory. Still high risk, but also a very different situation. Close Air Support is definitely a major role for the F-35, but you have troupes there so it’s contested territory. Patrolling no fly zones is currently much better suited for drone aircraft, but might become important again. So yes exceptions exist, but you really don’t want to run air to air combat missions out of air force bases anywhere near contested airspace. The risk vs rewards very much favor longer flights with mid air refueling.
- jki275 6y agoYou can't patrol a no fly zone with a drone. Drones don't do air to air combat, the only real use of drones at this time is ground surveillance. That may change some day in the future, but that's the reality now. And the F35 can do CAS, sort of, but that's not really its role. We've got a whole host of fourth gen aircraft to do CAS as CAS is nearly always done in an environment where we have full air superiority.
- Retric 6y agoAdding sensors to a drone isn’t a major issue. https://www.defenseworld.net/news/28773/GA_ASI_Integrates_Lockheed_Legion_Pod_Onto_Avenger_RPA https://www.defenseworld.net/news/28773/GA_ASI_Integrates_Lo... That said, you’re right, F-35’s have already been delivered and represent actual capacity not hypothetical alternatives. However, my personal experience was mostly on the R&D side of the DoD which colors my thinking about this stuff.