Raptor squadron to deploy to Pacific in June

F-16.net ^ | May 13, 2006 | Laura M. Colarusso

[rlmorel]

Agreed, but it is a matter of economy. The F-18's will continue to be used for the purpose they were designed for...we can't outfit the carriers with F-22's at that price each.

I wouldn't be surprised to see F-22's operating in tandem with the Navy, used in roles like the Wild Weasel, where they would carry a decoy that would simulate an aircraft somehow, then when defenses focus on that, boom...incoming.

[JRandomFreeper]

F-14s are toasty. No-one can keep them airborne. I'd rather maintain a B-25 (As Col. Dolittle flew off the carrier in WWII.) At least the wiring would still be good or repairable.

BTW, just to drive home a point..... F/A 18s aren't air superiority fighters. They drop bombs and shoot missles. Some other AC would secure the airspace. Some other AC would deny ELINT. Some other AC would direct traffic. Some other AC would refuel everybody.

Don't get stuck on AS.

/johnny

[LSUfan]

Interesting. I see your point. Okay, now consider the unlikely, but not impossible scenario of the US defending Taiwan. At least in the early part of the conflict, there will be no air force there, except Taiwan's. US carriers would have to go in with the F/A-18 with no F-15 or F-22 support. In that scenario, the F/A-18 could conceivably have to go up against the Su-30 in air to air.

[JRandomFreeper]

What is the great circle distance from Alaska to Tiawan? Where are all of the F-15s and F-22s?

What is their range and where are the tankers?

Whatever your fear, someone has discussed it.

Mil-12-B (The Acronym book) had InterPLANETARY Ballistic Missle (IPBM) listed. You have to wonder why...

Oh... and where are the F-22s going for their deployment?

/johnny

[Daaave]

One of my favorite planes that the Navy passed on, the F-22 replacement for the F-14. Another plane the Navy passed on was a naval version of the F-117. So the most advanced fighter/bomber the Navy has is the Super Hornet, untill they get the F-35.

[rahbert]

If the the Saudis go radical we'd have to disable the F15
fight software..

[LSUfan]

I guess they passed on the navalized F-117 because they thought they were going to get the A-12 Avenger II. That was going to be the stealthy replacement for the A-6E Intruder. Here we are 20 years later and the Navy has neither an air superiority fighter or a stealth attack aircraft.

[DesScorp]

"Sure, our aviators are better trained and fly more hours, but they deserve the best. "

The Navy can't afford a fleet of sports-car airplanes at 175 million apiece; they also have to buy surface ships and subs and pay for the Marine Corps. So Raptors are out for the fleet. Especially when, if you're not fighting a supercruise fighter, supersonic speed means nada in a dogfight. The Super Horner will eat anything else in the world alive, and last I heard, we weren't at war with the Air Force. But know what? The USAF won't have all that many either (less than 300 last I read). It doesn't matter if it can shoot down 6 planes at once if you can't afford more than a few squadrons worth. Just as the B-2 didn't get past 21 aircraft, the Raptor will never be built in very large numbers.

[ASOC]

Welcome to Alaska boys, fishing is mighty good about then.

And I know these F22s will fly right over my house - more than once I'm sure....can't hardly wait.

[church16]

I've trained against Saudi F15s while flying older model F16C Block 30s and we had no problems. They were truly terrible pilots, and exceeded only by their GCI (radar controllers) in poor execution. I must admit, they were gracious hosts and I did like the pilots I worked with personally, most were western educated. Of course, so are some of the terrorists we now face....

[GeorgefromGeorgia]

The F-18 E/F has stealth features, although not at the level of the JSF or F-22.

[LSUfan]

Yeah. Lower radar cross section than the F/A-18C Hornet and the F-14D Super Tomcat, but the Super Hornet is not stealthy. And its stealth advantages over the F-14D were at least partially offset by the F-14D's much superior performance in terms of speed, acceleration, combat radius, ferry range, rate of climb.

[bert]

When they go radical, they will be attacking Iran.

[GBA]

Raptor ping

[Aeronaut]

[ovrtaxt]

Yeah, but how would the F/A-18E/F fair against the latest Su-30 in Chicom hands or even the F-15 if Saudi Arabia went radical all the way?

Oh, I'm sure IAF F-15 pilots might have something to say about that.

[MindBender26]

Spoke with an f-15 and f-16 demo pilot at recent air show. As they flew back to their home bases, they were going to do some 1 on 1.

Asked who would win an F-15 v. F-16 fight. They agrees that in daylight, would be about equal, with some advantage to the F-15 at night, clouds, etc, buy it would always come down to skill of pilot.

Asked how long they would survive against a Raptor. Both agreed, 20 seconds!

[GeorgefromGeorgia]

Is it true that the Russians are developing a next generation fighter?

[Flyer]

The U.S. Air Force is surging ahead with plans to revitalize its bases on Guam

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1631975/posts

[MindBender26]

They are doing things with the MiG-29 and SU-27. Included are movable canards, FOREWARD swept wings and other stuff.

Russians are no dopes. Have flown in the Ka-26 helicopter and its piston engine predecessor. Old, ugly, crude, blew out a lot of smoke at startup, shook like a $2.00 hooker... and worked first time, every time. Pilot flew it about 20 flights a day, no preflight, no runup, just get in and go. Treated it like a car. Once flew with him from Pripyat to restaurant parking lot just to get lunch for film crew. Waitress said "Pilot Gregor, he fly here all the many times."

Met the guy who punched out of the MiG 29 when he lost the engine at the airshow with about 100 feet to spare. His comment "Russian ejection seat very hard. but very good. Save my (male part) We copy only best technology!"

Boeing has 2800 engineers working on the 787, 600 here and two shifts of 1100 each in Moscow. Everyone is hot linked and it's working well.

Some Russian ideas are horrible. The autoloaders on their tanks required cannon to return to a certain elevation for reload, so it was to slow.

But on the other hand, their look and shoot off-axis short range infrared air-to-air missles were 10 years ahead of ours and they had nightvision years before we did.

So ???????