F-35 is a masterpiece built for the wrong war

Re:F-35 is a masterpiece built for the wrong war by greedo on Monday April 20, 2026 @07:54PM (#47842778)

The F-35C has greater range than the F/A-18 Super Hornet, the F-16, and the F-22. It's only exceeded by the F-35A and the F-15EX. And "no fighter/interceptor split"? What does that even mean? The USAF hasn't had a true interceptor since the F-106 was retired.

The F-35 achieved exactly what was written on the tin. To be a stealthy replacement for the F-16, A-7, and AV-8B.

The fact that the USN doesn't have a long-legged air superiority fighter has nothing to do with the F-35, and the USAF never considered China as a concern when the ATF requirements were issued (that became the F-22).

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Re:F-35 is a masterpiece built for the wrong war by angry_octet on Tuesday April 21, 2026 @12:21AM (#47844478)

So if you compare it to the previous generation turbine it's better? That isn't very interesting.

The F-35 achieved a goal that isn't needed, at the cost of extreme delay. An F-16 replacement with stealth would have been delivered faster and cheaper. The USMC could concentrate on drones, STOVL and vertical lift. A larger variant for F-15/F/A-18 replacement would have many advantages. The USN always wanted more range out of JSF, but wasn't allowed to buy it.

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