Marine pilot loses command after ejecting from F-35B that kept flying

Re:Marine pilot loses command after ejecting from F-35B that... by adrr on Monday November 11, 2024 @10:10PM (#42112441)

Or that F-35 failed its goals. Double the price. 50% more expensive than estimated operational cost. Its 3x the price to operate than a F16. Planes are obsolete technologies, should have invested in drones/loitering munitions. In 10 years, its all going to be drones.

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Re:Marine pilot loses command after ejecting from F-35B that... by SonicScrub on Tuesday November 12, 2024 @07:51AM (#42115102)

> Planes are obsolete technologies, should have invested in drones/loitering munitions. In 10 years, its all going to be drones.

This is speculation on what the future will be, not our current reality. In the War in Ukraine, reliance on cheap drones has more to do neither sides ability to achieve air superiority due to AA systems. Introduce stealth and/or effective SEAD tactics (suppression of enemy air defense) into that mix, and the situation changes very quickly. For a recent example, see the Israeli strikes on Iranian air defense systems.

The future is more likely to be hybrid, where drones, and "loyal wingman" data-linked with manned systems are used to get the best of both worlds. The F35's sensor suite and data-link capability are designed for that.

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Re:Marine pilot loses command after ejecting from F-35B that... by ikekkdcjkfke on Tuesday November 12, 2024 @09:56AM (#42115911)

What is the use case for a manned missile taxi anyway?

Does it have the agency to fire at will or does it need to confirm all attacks?

Edit: i guess in high EW environments where you need fast delivery

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