1. Would it be possible to completely ****-can the avionics and
software and use the same as is going to be used in the F-35? I mean
IDENTICAL other than the differences to deal with the different flight
characteristics of the F-22?
That's not too far from the truth.... but has to be managed in such a
way as to give the impression is a evolutionary upgrade to the F-22
while benefiting the JSF.
2. Stuff the latest generation Strike Eagle avionics into an
F-22/F-119 combo as a stopgap until you could do #1? It would
essentially BE a faster, stealthy F-15.
Not a hope.
3. Can the F-22 entirely which would mean you flushed billions away
and got nothing for it and then buy F-15Ks with AESA APG-63s as a
stopgap until the F-35 is ready?
Its a possibility which is increasing exponentially with development
time, there are many examples of 'how good it is' news pieces being
posted by the marketing bods, this tends to happen during times of
threat to programs.
IF F-35 ever gets ready...and it can't really replace F-22 in any case.
Unless given more money...
There's several tens of billion dollars if the F-22 is cancelled,
the JSF price just took another hike, I'm on the record as saying
something's got to give as the numbers don't stack up, Comanche was
just a starter, expect another big ticket item (or two) to fall.
4. *shudder* buy "Super"Hornets for the Air Force?
Not a hope.
5. Buy foreign?
Not a hope, but out of interest - if forced to which would the US
prefer Typhoon, Rafale, or a Russian jobbie.
I'm on record saying in 1997 or so that cancelling F-22 would be
gigantically stupid because the program is too far advanced. Cancelling it
now would be...well, something.
Its only development money:-) , hopefully the JSF will be better
managed, canceling the F-22 only means a red face for the US, but its
the lengths they will go to avoid canceling it, that's the real
question, if the reports of the F-22 being a bit of a lemon are true
how far will they go to defend it.
Cheers
John Cook
Any spelling mistakes/grammatic errors are there purely to annoy. All
opinions are mine, not TAFE's however much they beg me for them.
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