The JSF Thread

I felt like we needed a comprehensive JSF thread to cover everything from news regarding it to our opinions of it, to photos and videos.

So how do you feel about this plane? Beccause besides it being a very cost-effective and bang-for-the -buck-solution, I dislike it. It is another evolutionary aircraft which has too many compromises to excel in any arena. While the F-16 featured many compromises too, it was a REvolutionary aircraft and that is what made it so succesfull in the long run. Even if the JSFs market is even bigger since it is targeting F-16+Hornet+previously USSR equipped customers, its longterm success is still not a given.

If the US is planning to dominate in a future major conflict with a powerful potential antagonist, like say China, the JSF will more than likely fall short. It features no significant advancement in any one area, while potential inimical states are fielding more and more advanced fighters. In a heavily saturated airwar like any Sino/US conflict would be, maneuverability would play a big role, and here especially the F-35 is found wanting.

I have the thread a JSF instead of an F-35 title because I think the concept is what’s at fault here, more than the plane. I doubt for example like the F-32 could reverse my above opinions, even if it looks much bettter!

So, what are your thoughts on this?