On top of all of that, the typical CONOPS for the SuperHornet includes escorts, EW support, decoys, buddy tankers, etc…. While the typical F-35C CONOPS needs none of those.
F-35A or what ever version will need much more escrots than Superhornet. think harder you will get the answer. 2030 is too far just in post 2020 era the advancement in AWACS/Satellite technology and hypersonic weopons loaded on aircraft with multiple racks will pretty much guarantee hit before even F-35 turn on its afterburner on tarmac. F-35 will need to be parked very far from theatre and will need extensive tanker support and even need a lot of cargo support to transport ammunition and parts to F-35.
https://sputniknews.com/voiceofrussia/news/2014_04_12/Russia-should-be-ready-for-non-contact-war-Deputy-PM-0848/
Old-fashioned army and fleet, organized in accordance with 20th century examples, will lose a war before they are face to face with the enemy. The era of high-precision long-range weapons has arrived. The future lies in smart weapons,” Dmitry Rogozin told students in the Urals city of Chelyabinsk.
As far as SH upgrades, the userbase is too small to justify the expenditure (ie new engines, CFTs, etc). The ASH concept has been out there for a while but there has not been any takers.
how exactly it is small? start with 100 aircraft per year for USAF and remember its built I believe in same plant as F-15 in state that has no immigrant pressure on scale of Texas that will keep cost down and a lot less foreign made parts.
why you think LM CEO is touting 1800 more jobs because she knows that amount of money spent and imported components are not favorable and Trump may even force her to built F35 parts in states where Trump is likely to win next elections.
http://breakingdefense.com/2017/01/lockheed-ceo-tells-trump-good-deal-close-for-90-planes/
This deal would also create 1,800 new jobs at our Fort Worth, Texas, facility and thousands more throughout our U.S. supply base
On the Swarms issues, they control themselves, the pilot only assigns targets, missions, etc. It’s not a high workload and something that the F-35 has built into itself already (ie asset management, target assignments, etc). The smart thing would be for the F-35 to act as a relay (using SATCOM & MADL) so that off-board controllers would manage the swarm most of the time leaving the pilot to do his normal job while still being able to take over the swarm as needed.
why you think all advance choppers and Strike fighter like Su-34 need two. its about loitering, information overload and controlling ground based missiles be it SAM or strike missiles.
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