you do realize my post was made in november 2025 nearly 9 months earlier??
also you do realize that every early hornets are too low in BR comparatively?
and you forget the part that it will be heavier on every aspect than current F-5E
WORSE FLIGHT MODEL
the F-20, if given those 4x AIM-120 → 13.3
the same BR where any F-16’s with AIM-120 have more missile, more flares/chaffs, more maneuvrability and Thrust to Weight Ratio.
So basically F-20 with AIM-120 is a bad idea
(and i’m not accounting for the 9P-5 / 9M situation,… as it would push it to 13.7 then)
9M would probably only bump it up to 12.7. F-15A and F-14B have 9Ms.
They could easily add 9Ms to the F-20 and put it at 12.7, or at least fix the matchmaker so F-20s see more balanced games at that BR. Right now it’s constant uptiers regardless.
Even if they add Aim-120 alongside with Aim-9M , it wouldn’t be more than 13.3.
Actually, if the F-20 received Aim-120s in the configuration that it was advertised. It would have the same amount of missiles as the F-16. It could carry a load out of 2 Aim-9s and 4 Aim-120s.
Also, in terms of flare and chaff count, the F-20 had the ability for conformal flare pods to be added to the nose of the aircraft as was shown way earlier in this thread.
The F-20 would be fine in 13.3 even with Aim-120s. It wouldn’t be too much or too little. Don’t forget about the F-4 ICE sitting at 13.3 and it’s a worse airframe with a similar performing radar. I’m not positive on countermeasures, but I believe they are close and the F-4 ICE does very well at that BR. Keep the 9Ls with 4 Aim-120s and the F-20 would be fine.
I have also seen information regarding the F-20 not having Aim-120s from a dev and it is primarily for balancing concerns regarding the fact that the devs have no where they feel comfortable putting the F-20 with the current BR layout as they don’t want to push it too far but they don’t want to keep it too low.
27 days and one Major update that have changed cards (again)
Yet, having it at higher BR would mean facing better aircrafts in an old heavy one,…
Many Mirage F-1 players are crying for having Mirage F-1C with no Magic-2 to get a “Lower BR” - explainning exactly what will happen with F-20.
i don’t truly care of what people thinks,… Stats/Performances sheets are showing that giving more advanced weapon would make it facing ennemies it that would destroy it way more easily,…
“Conformal nose flares”? What on earth are you talking about dude? The F-20 was only ever going to be capable of using the same AN/ALE-40 dispenser setup as the F-5E/F.
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I did actually make a report about that a few days ago, finally: Community Bug Reporting System
It was more of a planned thing I guess I should have said. It never was actually physically a thing. You would have to go way back in the thread to see the pictures of a book I think you or someone else shared. It was a completely on paper thing and never confirmed. Even still, the countermeasure count isn’t bad if it got pushed up in BR with Fox 3 missiles and what not
Oh, you mean the ALQ-171(V) Conformal Countermeasures system…
That’s an ECM pod (no dispensers) that was intended to fit on the central hardpoint on F-5s and the F-20. Iirc there wasn’t even a functional pod of it built, just a mockup.
oh,… an ECM Pod?
not a single aircraft in game get such pods, let alone such feature of ECM (SPJ)
those pods are trying to Jam specific threats (not all threats), and with a relative efficiency (even today, with recent pods - loads of russian aircrafts got shot down in ukraine, and the most recent F-15E shotdown in Iran)
i’ll keep telling you :
- the F-20 got less interesting flight capabilities than the F-5E.
- the F-20 would be easily trapped to higher BR (13.3 is plausible), if they gives it AIM-120A’s.
- the F-20 would be a “Spamram vehicule” once you’ve shot all your amram, you’ll be defenseless (similarly to the F-4F ICE, which many german mains despise for it’s BR).
- the F-20 have no interest to be armed with AIM-120, when there is F-16’s (better in every way than F-20) [in comparison the F-4F ICE was the only way for German mains to participate in the early Fox-3, with an intended fighter aircraft]
and the F-20 being a Premium aircraft - many people would get disapointed to have a playable aircraft they paid 70/80 dollars, becoming a useless piece of junk. - Gaijin would not give refunds on those.
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I disagree. The F-4 ICE if played smart you won’t be defenseless. I love the plane even in today’s current game. The F-20 lacks a proper offensive load out at its current BR and I feel that it can’t be played to its full potential. It’s a good platform for amraams as it’s gets fast and high very quickly and can lob AIM-120s well if that’s your play style. If not then it can be treated as a less maneuverable gripen playing low with head-on Aim-120s. Instead of going high as an F-16 would. The F-20 would not be defenseless without missiles. It would be much better off than the F-4 ICE in a similar situation. Yes, the F-20 is worse than the F-16. However it is not a bad airframe. The F-4 ICE does not suffer at all if you know what you’re doing. But that’s with every aircraft I feel.
Not even true lmao.
It still has Aim-9L-I which are basically Aim-9M minus smokeless motor, good amount of countermeasures, good radar and amazing Rwr.
If you’re looking for dogfighters then thats on you, otherwise ICE can defend itself pretty easily under experienced hands.
So just because there is another plane that has better flight models does that mean people should not have right to choose different platform?
Also F-20 can go toe to toe with F-16’s if you know what you’re doing, this things flight performance is kinda cracked.
lol it has better flight performance than F-5E, wth are you talking about?
^^ The flight performance is kinda cracked. Managed to fight off an F/A-18C Early in a match yesterday even with carrying the GPU-5 and four Mavericks. Until I crashed into a hill. In the right hands, the F-20 is absolutely competitive with F-16s and F-18s. I honestly don’t want it to ever have 120s. It would just go up in BR and face MORE ARH platforms where it already struggles. If anything, just give it 7M and 9M and bump it up to 12.7 or not at all. It could carry both because 7M and 7F are backwards compatible, as is 9M and 9L. Same with Single Rails of AGM-65D/G with 65A/B. The only thing that would need upgraded for all of the above is the software, which while not confirmed doesn’t mean it can’t be added at all.