Gripen Demo, Su-35S and Rafale reportedly demonstrated this as well. And “only” with AAMs is funny when your fat dave doesn’t make the cut clean! It needs AB to get past M1 and still requires minimum AB to sustain that speed, so sorry but no supercruise as of now!

That’s not what the article said. You’re inferring just as much as those you’re in disagreement with.

I guess now we have to scratch supercruise from the list of the 5th gen requirements 🙂

Lets amend it to:

VLO stealth from the front

Actually let’s amend it to all aspect VLO, and the F-35’s stealth materials should set the standard for ease of maintenance and durability.

A rather pesimistic view G39.
I’ll bet the size of Pak-Da will end up somewhere between Tu-22M3 and Su-34.
The days of large strategic bombers like Tu-160/95 and B-52 are slowly dying away.

You just said it, its all cost and funding related.
The official statement of Pak-Fa cost is that the prize will be considerbly lower vs F-22

If the PAK FA is less than $100m, I’d be surprised.

An interesting article, but I searched there is no such report on Defense News’ website, who can verify it?

Defense News reported that PL-12D is more advanced than the US-made AIM-120D and has completed seven tests prior to its debut.

I’d love to know how they arrived at this conclusion, considering that the performance parameters of the D model aren’t public knowledge.

I wonder if people read my posts or are just that black and white..
I didnt debate all 5 gen of a/c i right or wrong. Maybe more looking at the downsides and speculate on 6 and 7 gen fighter will have less stealth shaping and rely more on new materials.

You’re never going to be able to rely on materials alone, to get VLO or better.
Shaping is always going to be the most important aspect.

Correct , The architecture , the software (ada) and the strength of the raptor fleet (187-2?) makes upgrades expensive , and funding hard to get from the politicians.[

It’s not the F-22’s architecture that is keeping it from getting the -120D. It’s the priorities as you mentioned, keeping the legacy planes relevant.

only 80-90 raptors are bound to eventually get the full 3.2 increment , which is extremely low and there is always a threat to the dilution of the 3.2 increment or its outright cancellation or postponement.

Actually, they’re talking about upgrading all Block 30/35 to the same standard, there’s even talk of splicing parts of the F-35’s architecture to the F-22, to allow the Block 20s to be upgraded too.

They’ve already removed the MADL from the 3.2 which would have allowed the F/A-22 to fully communicate with other Raptors , the JSF , B-2 , UCAV’s and the NGB which would make it a less flexible asset in years to come.

MADL would allow the F-22s to better communicate with F-35s/B-2s, but Raptors already talk to one another with IFDL.

However , i do believe that once the economy recovers , the JSF program recovers (or gets too out of hand and serious thought is put to alternatives) the USAF would want to add to the entire raptor fleet things like MADL , and even the F-35’s EOTS or side arrays planned for the raptor. The F/a-22 raptor will have upgrades planned in the future probably before it receives an MLU way into the future.

I agree that the Raptor fleet will be kept cutting edge throughout its life. It’s not going to be technologically frozen at 1990(or even 2005).

Whatever the number (1500 or 2400) it does not make sense if it comes at huge costs unless when there is evidence (or a well reasoned expectation) that generation 4 and 4.5 airplanes will be obsolete in 10 years time.

its like building a complete team with only quarterbacks, fun when affordable but i don’t see anyone do it (waw, now everybody will know i have no clue about sports 🙂 )

One doesn’t buy a fighter with a 10yr life span in mind. You have to look 30-50yrs down the road.

and where is it going to store all the bombs, missiles… to do that?

You are aware that the F-35 can carry ~15-18k lbs of stores right? It’s only limited to 5k lbs for first day of war missions where stealth is essential.