Yeah, that was me. Though I am not saying I currently think that a fully capable XF-2A should’ve been added at that time, it was just the public (and I admit my) opinion back then, on top of F-16AJ being leaked as F-2 as well, so the hype was there. F-16AJ just didn’t live up to the hype, and then Gaijin even failed to deliver the F-16AJ.
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it should have not been added instead there were better options
i said that was one of the better options there was also stuff you seem to be omiting other options i put like the thai F16’s wich you are conveniently ignoring
i compared the F16AJ to american F16’s ingame currently because the current F16AJ uses the block 10 flight model wich is the F16A in the current american TT, meanwhile it uses the AIM7’s found only on the block 15(F16A-ADF) the F16AJ is a block 10 with block 15 armament
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I am entering the aerospace defense industry by the end of the year and have been very heavily researching these sort of scenarios since they relate to my career, so not yet but eventually it will be my job to research and consider certain weapon systems and avionics.
Although I suppose my inherent bias towards European aircraft is clear but it’s also a well warranted one at that.
I’ve seen this argument a few times and it never really made sense. Sure, the Typhoon and Rafale may be more advanced than the F15 and F16, but the US was fielding the F22 about the same time the Europeans were fielding those jets.
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depends F35 for example, some european countries participated in the project, and some countries are being forced to make and buy F35’s license so they can carry nukes around according to the US
This argument only makes sense if the AAM-4 were better than the AIM-120A, which it currently isn’t in most situations. It is still only a development server, and the AAM-4 specifically still needs a lot of work. Don’t forget that if the F-15C gets the option to carry eight AIM-120s, the F-15J (M) will be limited to four AAM-4s.
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Firstly, I advise not taking this topic towards the ‘5th gen debate’ route since it’s a long and winding road but let’s put this into a war thunder situation, firstly the 4.5 gens will come far, far before we see a glimpse of 5th gens which only compounds with the fact that, specifically the Raptor, work best in an air superiority role, where it has access to AWACS and other friendly aircraft to boost datalink relay and situational awareness, a trait that many of the Euro 4.5 gens don’t necessarily require to perform under pressure since they have comparable AESA radars and arguably better and more modern sensors to develop a clearer and safer environment for the pilot even without the need for stealth capabilities.
People currently want it to at least be equal to the AIM-120A/B, which it currently isn’t. In fact, the entire report that was made and the suggestions people have given are mainly aimed at bringing the current AAM-4 to a level on par with the AIM-120A/B.
People just don’t want it to become like the AAM-3 situation, where it is quite literally a copy-paste AIM-9M with slightly better G loads. Is it really too much to ask for unique stats for unique missiles and not a hodgepodge of other missile stats?
SU 57
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Ok and the F22 only real advantage was stealth
Nations were already part of the Joint Strike Fighter since the 90s
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Mainly it’s down to the USAF Superiority bollocks they are fed since birth in America, the star spangled raptor simply has to be the best aircraft in the world!!!
what? lets downplay not being able to be seen or locked by enemy aircraft.
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Modern Aerial combat isn’t that simple, on top of the fact it can be picked up by ground radar, SAM systems and AWACS/EW aircraft which will simply relay information over to their forces in the sky
u can be seen and u can be locked just that the range is minimal compared to a plane with similar size, there is still radars that can actively ignore this, like more advanced AESA radars, but fortunately russia dosent have them in active service yet except the SU-57 that hasnt seen combat yet, and IR signature its a thing for IRST
Yes, stealth was the point of developing a stealth fighter.
you can be seen visually obviously… you’re not showing up on radars until you get much closer and by that point they’re probably dead to some long range missile
Russia, specifically the VVS has proven itself a bit of an embarrassment in terms of utilising modern aerial combat tactics, especially since they keep losing their A-50 AWACS systems, the eyes now fall to China, who turned away the IRBIS-E radar (from the Su-35s) since their own AESA systems far outperformed it, alongside having by far the best flanker in the form of the J-16, no Russian shilling can tell me otherwise lol.
ME when better AESA comes
Stealth wasn’t even new it was just made better and put onto a actual fighter
depends on the radar, for example, latest chinese AESA can detect it from 20-30km away, but russia’s latest PESA can only start detecting you at 10 km, Japan’s latest AESA can detect it from 50 km away, European AESA i still dont know current stats so we need to wait and see