From my time at RAF Bentwaters I know that the F-117 visited the base well before its was publicly unveiled.
While I did not see it and was not involved with it or directly told of its existence, one learns things by keeping your ears open at the command post.

Yes, it was unveiled to the UK MoD in 1983.

What I don’t see is a substitute for the F-35B…

Buy a Harrier production license from BAE?:highly_amused:

Well Metric wave band radar is essentially immune against ARM by the fact that no interferometric antenna of metric waveband can fit inside missile. The fighter may need usual land attack missile.
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Regardless the detection claim is unfortunately sketchy especially regarding to frequencies being used, target aspect, environmental condition especially presence of multipath which may affect apparent RCS. One caveat however is that usually during peacetime F-22 is equipped with luneburg lenses.

They don’t need to fit inside the missile because AARGMs have MMW terminal guidance too, all it needs a rough steer from the energy of the transmissions, or from the launch aircraft. The other problem with these large metric radars is that they tend to be stationary, so even a cruise missile can target them.

Was this the claim referred to earlier?

No, that is doctored. Here is what the bus said.

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An expected late 2019 Milestone C decision will likely push the “enacted” to over 100 aircraft by FY21.

Are those figures just for US or total?

Hell, the sale pitch to many customer looking at 4/4.5 Generation Types. Is they will be obsolete and you must have a 5th Generation Fighter like the F-35. Yet, then the US goes out and buys more 4th Generation Fighters. The F-15 Eagle even dates back to the 1970’s! :confused:

Boeing lobbies hard. I’d put the purchase more down to political corruption than good sense.

This find of 2012 🙂
F135 dry engine weight – 1701 kg
“not to exceed weight” for CTOL/CV – 2950.16 kg
“not to exceed weight” for STOVL – 4750.02 kg

The mass of the “power plant” is about twice the “dry mass of the engine”

It’s always the dry weight that is quoted though.

AKA the Epirus Bow.