Forum: F-35 Lightning II

Maverick may by heavy but JAGM uses a tandem-charge warhead to make up for it. JAGM has multi-shot abilities to go along with the Maverick's stand-off abilities thanks to the built-in inertial measurement unit and EEPROM drive for pre-programmed target data so I'm sure it will be adequate.

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Lets hope some one does the thinking on the domino effect of cancelling the JAGM. If no Maverick for the F35 etc etc. I am sure this is all being thought of.

Wired Magazine just posted an interesting article about US drones.

Almost 1 In 3 U.S. Warplanes Is a Robot

http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2012/01/drone-report/

alloycowboy wrote:

Wired Magazine just posted an interesting article about US drones.

Almost 1 In 3 U.S. Warplanes Is a Robot

http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2012/01/drone-report/

...and just last fall Wired Magazine posted in interesting article about US drones being infected with a computer virus.

Exclusive: Computer Virus Hits U.S. Drone Fleet

http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2011/10/virus-hits-drone-fleet/

Doh

TEG

PS - Is this like pilots getting the flu and not being able to fly?

"Oh sorry General, our drones can't fly for a few days in the AOR they seem to have a bug..!!" LMAO

TEG, Agree with what you are getting at. It is too big a risk to put all the eggs in one "wifi" basket. Men unfortunately will always be needed (and as some people have mentioned before unless a skynet type AI arrive at which time we may have bigger problems to worry about). Drones will in foreseeable future supplment combat operations rather than be mainstay in a high tech scenario.

If JAGM gets cut, which I think is a distinct possibility, then buy Brimstones to arm the fast jet fleet. Brimstone may not have the tri-mode seeker but it has proven itself in Libya. Maybe share the JAGM seeker tech to develop an advanced Brimstone which will be as capable as JAGM.

Brimstone-armed Super Tucano operating from either LHD/LHA or ground would definitely be a future game-changing capability to employ in any similar no-drive enforcement mission.

As far as the subject thread goes; "There is simply no alternative...", while it has not been the case, nor still isn't the case, I'm just curious if there has been anyone called yet before Congress to answer for this claim? Should there be a hearing on alternatives in your opinion?

SouthernPhantom where did you get that first FB-23 drawing with the side-by-side seating? I like it, reminds me of the F-111.

Anyway, short of congress allowing two or three new fighter programs, plus continued F-22 production and development, I don't see any valid long term alternatives.

Regarding JAGM, I do hope it doesn't get the axe. It holds a lot of promise for all three services. If it doesn't survive I suppose a development of Brimstone would probably be the best alternative. I do wish the F-35 had an external Maverick capability however. Its sheer explosive content would be worth it for some targets.

lampshade111 wrote:

SouthernPhantom where did you get that first FB-23 drawing with the side-by-side seating? I like it, reminds me of the F-111.

Anyway, short of congress allowing two or three new fighter programs, plus continued F-22 production and development, I don't see any valid long term alternatives.

Regarding JAGM, I do hope it doesn't get the axe. It holds a lot of promise for all three services. If it doesn't survive I suppose a development of Brimstone would probably be the best alternative. I do wish the F-35 had an external Maverick capability however. Its sheer explosive content would be worth it for some targets.

j

A SDB-II would be a more versatile and affordable weapon than a Maverick though. Plus it's carried internally preserving the F-35s stealthiness.

JAGM is needed due to how many missiles we have that need to be retired and replaced. Using the JAGM as a common airframe would mean we would have an affordable weapon for all of our services and the capabilities it has such as the tri-mode seeker make this missile worthy of keeping around.

I do also agree SDB-II is needed as well with its target ID ability and good standoff capability to take out heavily armored targets.

Personally, I'd contemplate a mix of SDB-II and even a fast-tracked SDB-III alongside next-gen Brimstones to replace any similar-class munitions needing to be retired. This would be a more specialized and capable mix and worthwhile of investment, imho. JAGM, as viable as it seems, would seem to duplicate such joint capabilities?

With regards to discussing actual munitions the last couple pages, this is actually a fair topic to focus on with regards to the thread's subject discussing platform alternatives. The actual systems' modernization and munitions integrated into a platform will always be half the equation.

What would the SDB3 look like?

JAGM is already much better than Brimstone and much of JAGM's development is done. Should we chuck it (and the the spent money) and start over on Brimstone2?

Forum: F-35 Lightning II

‘Simply put, there is no alternative to the F-35 program’