The US does not have a monopoly on AAM’s now, and hasn’t had for decades.
There are other countries out there apart from the US and Britain.:rolleyes:
I also think your statement that the US 4th generation fighters are “thoroughly” outclassed by Euro canards” is a little broad.
On topic, I think that US programmes have become a little heavy for years now, especially in the wasting of finances. The US could do cost control a little better perhaps.
Still, you are mentioning some of the programmes with teething problems.
Most aerospace programmes have these troubles.
Come now, it’s widely acknowledged that the AMRAAM is THE gold standard in A-A missiles. Yes there are alternatives but nobody in the west really wants those alternatives such as the MICA. That gold standard is soon to be the the Meteor missile.
US 4th gen fighters really aren’t the ‘western’ gold standard that they once were either. The F-15 is outcalssed by the Typhoon and Rafale, the F-16 outclassed by the Typhoon, Rafale and to a lesser extent the Gripen and the F-18E is outclassed by everything in terms of aerodynamics/flight performance.
Teething problems, well thats one way of looking at the F-35, but really wpould you really decribe the laundry list of terrible problems the F-35 has had as ‘teething problems’? I sure wouldn’t. The jet is fundametally broken, FUBAR, an aerodynamic pig etc etc and nothing is really going to change that. It’s a f**k up of monsterous proportions.
Same for the F-22 only this one has a nasty habit of killing its pilots. It is not very usefull WVR and gets beaten by jets that cost half its price. Almost half the fleet are NOT combat capable due to them being manuafactured so poorly and to top it off its lucky if it gets off the ground at all half the time. It’s another American f**k up of enourmous proportions.
Dr.Snufflebug may have a point about UCAV’s but i’m not convinced that lead can be held. The French seem to be doing well and I imagine they will eventually get to the same point as the Americans but will probably do so on a 10th of the budget and end up with a superior product thanks to it being less ambitious.
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