f16 can way more Gs while keeping its speed up way smaller target can roll out of missles and way more nimble
Not to mention the much better tgp it has currently
I gotta ask though, whilst all the things you’ve both said are valid reasons, 229’s alone aren’t really changing those strengths the F16C holds in your eyes (Size, Agility, Armament, TGP), are they?
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Would say it adds agility just due to the amount of extra thrust it gives the plane to evade missiles or just outrun them
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Fun fact: Since “Apex Predators”, US has received at least one jet aircraft in every of those updates
The trend will probably continue with December update too (if rumors and leaks about Hornet are correct)
Spoiler
Apex Predators - A-6E TRAM, F-16A, F-16ADF
Sky Guardians - F-4S
La Royale - F-14B
Kings of Battle - F-111A
Air Superiority - F-15A
Alpha Strike - F-20A
Seek & Destroy - F-15C MSIP II, AV-8B Plus
Dance of Dragons - A-10C, F-111F, AV-8B (NA)
Firebirds - F-15E, F-117
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There is 0 doubt that the hornet isn’t coming in December, I do have a very high doubt that the USA gets the best variant based on how they handled the F-15E though
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Bro has the receipts to back up my throwaway comment sourced on vibes lol.
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well more speed in my eyes = higher chance of doging pansire missles and faster climb means i can lob from furthur out and highr up
I mean it could be down to preference, but having played both AA (Pantsir) and CAS, I feel like the better pod and flight model combination just outweights the coupl more GBUs the 15E can carry.
I can’t speak for other people of course, but it would somewhat take away one of the downsides of the F-15E which would make it a lot closer in comparison to the F-16C. The F-16C would still have a better pod, but with the flight performance being a lot closer it means that you could argue that they are at least sidegrades (better pod but less bombs).
I just dislike in general how these iconic strike aircraft (both the 15I and 15E) are being introduced as essentially sidegrades/downgrades compared to already existing strike aircraft in their respective trees.
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Idk man. I think Pantsir is still going to bully both E & I players alike, 229’s or not lol.
You underestimate how fast the I is
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GE402s added much needed power to the Hornet
I don’t think it will be that great of a difference as it is now with 220s vs 229s but it would still make a noticeable change in flight performance
If anyone has figures for F-404GE-400 and F-404GE-402 for comparison, I am curious to see the difference in power
And as I said before, Swiss F/A-18Cs never were equipped with earlier GE400 variant much like Israeli F-15I was never equipped with earlier PW220 variant.
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Even though the Pantsir is the best SPAA by orders of magnitude, its still victim to any CAS with mavericks and TGP or something similar.
It really isn’t hard to dismantle a Pantsir.
I do think it’s main weakness is not having agms though, so it’ll need to slow down to Mach 1 to drop its ordnance
All perfectly valid points.
I can definitely see more the argument for it being a side/downgrade in the US tree. As things currently stand, F15C is better A2A, and you’ve made a convincing case for 16C being better (or at least equal) A2G.
For Israel though it definitely feels like more of a clear cut upgrade. Better than Baz A2A, Better than Barak A2G.
Yea the us usually puts these better engines into service years before they export the vehicle, but ofc gaijin ignores that fact and just likes to give us the oldest possibly variant out of spite
a good pansire player will shoot down all 6 mavs and the gbus
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And a good CAS player can just keep re-arming.
well now everything has a ammo box witch is dumb and you are comparing a 70sp spaa with a back up VS a 860+ CAS that has to account for pansires other aircarft and helicopters with A2A
and rearming takes atleast 2 to 3 min i usally drop bombs and go for air since i uaslly face russia and know my spaas cant do anything against ka38s
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Sadly Israel has no Mav’s + TGP combo (Well… There’s Kurnass… But the airframe & TGP is atrocious) so i can’t really say i’ve experienced being able to counter Pantsirs like that.
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