Forum: F-35 Lightning II

I like the F-35, and I think it will eventually be in active service for an acceptable price compared to its competitors, and everyone will stop complaining.

However, let's have some fun and post our opinions on the best possible alternative, focusing on cost for capability and low price for the sake of plausibility. You can invent your own aircraft, suggest an existing one, or suggest an existing one with some changes. There could be a separate STOVL, CTOL, and CV plane, or maybe just a CV/CTOL combo, or maybe only STOVL. No arguing, let's put our brains to work.

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Since this thread is a little bit of a joke, I say one joke deserves another! Ladies and Gentlement I give you the F-35 alternative the Moller M400 Skycar. Laughing

Ah, so use the money from the F-35 to:

A) Feed poor children lemons and whatever that is and provide them with F-35 simulators for fun

or B) provide every citizen in the US with a flying car.

The thread wasn't supposed to be a joke, but I get it...

@noah30..... No I don't think you do. The Moller Skycar is one of aviations longest running scams.

F-23. Or that smaller single engined version (F-36?). If not, more F-22s and derivatives would work.

Relevant thread -

Given the austere budget environment and continued requirement for recapitalization, I'd say a fair balance would consist of FY13 procurement of 12-15x F-16 block 50/52++ and 5-10x F-15E+. FY14 procurement could consist of a slightly higher ramp up in procurement of both models to a total of 25-30 combined units. FY15 through FY18 could consist of 30-35 combined 'evolved' units per annum. However, perhaps by FY19, a block IV 'test' F-35A variant (F-35 Program all the while under continued follow-on block R&D) should have completed sufficient IOT&E to give a go-ahead for FY19 procurement to commence for about 20 F-35A block IV. By FY20, this could increase to 25 units procured, with all Plan B procurement now being complete. Furthermore, VLO UCAC platforms should be entering LRIP around this date as well. From FY21 onward USAF might attempt to procure around 30 F-35A units per annum, with a target of FY22 to include introduction of block V production units. By 2028, SDD could be complete for a common 5.5 gen navalized USAF/USN multi-role platform w/ 800+ nm radius requirement and utilizing off the shelf components and avionics. imho Thumb

There is no Plan B.

Well seeing as though the latest and greatest anti-stealth device is now openly available thus rendering all F-35's entirely useless, I guess we'll just have to go back to F-5's and F-16A's armed with AIM-9L's as Winslow Wheeler suggests is the future of air combat...

AAaaaaahhhHH back to Noddy & Big Ears! Noice. Very Happy

Had a long long list of ideas and deleted it because... hell if I know. I can't think of anything that won't leave us totally screwed over by the 2040s. I guess the alternative is to scrap all overseas bases along with the surface fleet and retreat to within our own borders, maybe while building a few hundred more F-22s for air defense. Rolling Eyes

Spend the money on submarines and cruise missiles.

destroid wrote:

Spend the money on submarines and cruise missiles.

They're pretty useful for air defence I hear...

Being serious for a moment the alternative is simple. Continue to build new F-15's, F-16's and F/A-18E/F Super Hornets until all the legacy aircraft are replaced and continue to incrementally upgrade them with weapons, sensors, avionics and EW kit designed as best as possible (in use with inferior assets) to meet the threat. Production lines are running for all 3 aircraft types so you won't have any issues replacing the worn out legacy aircraft. Both major fighter companies stay in business building legacy fighters, both major engine manufacturers stay in business building legacy engines and the US learns to accept that it doesn't have the most advanced capability on the planet any more, but as it does have overwhelming numbers and deployable force multiplying capability it will still be the most dominant single military force on the planet.

F-35 will keep it way ahead of the game and that's why it's not being cancelled. If it does, the US just won't be so far ahead of the "game"...

Note - This is hypothetical. F-35 hasn't been cancelled. I don't believe it will be and all of this type of discussion will be proven futile.

If we went with a non-stealthy alternative, then we would need to heavily invest in new EW platforms/systems. Additionally, we'd need to rely much more heavily on stand off weapons, so that'd be another area that we'd need to beef up. Finally, adding a variety of hypersonic, conventional global strike weapons, to quickly strike either fixed targets, or mobile ones that haven't had time to relocate.

Forum: F-35 Lightning II

Your Alternative to the F-35?