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To: Yo-Yo
Also true when your own fire control system is trying to get a lock on its target before you even fire. And getting though jamming and spoofing takes more than an 8 bit computer with 4k of memory.

I worked with a guy who worked at Fairchild in the 1960's where he worked on the computer systems of the F-101 and F-102. You can always upgrade it to 16K and Level II BASIC. B-D I know to hopefully overcome any jamming, it really isn't the computer itself but also the electronics of the missile, the radar frequencies and so forth. The Sidewinder missile itself contains less electronics than a transistor radio. Don't forget, you can use the machine guns/autocannon if need be.

The most important part is the pilot. We need to account for that, all the "Flash Gordon technology" cannot compensate for a good pilot. I think we place too much faith in the bells and whistles and not only it will cost us financially but it will also bite us by getting too cocky and prideful.

It's like in Star Wars, Episode IV where the X-Wing pilots tried to shoot a missile down the Deathstar's exhaust port, the ones using the X-Wing's computer were not successful but Luke Skywalker, being a good pilot he was, was able to go to manual control and get that missile inside. OK, it was a movie (I'm just using it as an illustration) and Luke had a little help from The Force, but even so, he needed his pilot's skills to get there.

Plus if there ever was a WWIII, there will be a point where replacements for the avionics will not be available and it will come down to the pilot to fly the planes in a "dumbed down" version. We need an aviation version of a T-34 tank instead of a King Tiger.
35 posted on 04/15/2015 9:07:30 PM PDT by Nowhere Man (Mom I miss you! (>8-20-1938 to 11-18-2013) Cancer sucks)
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To: Nowhere Man

And your flying T-34 gets slammed by a BVR missile before your Mark I eyeballs can even see a target.


36 posted on 04/16/2015 3:32:45 AM PDT by Yo-Yo (Is the /sarc tag really necessary?)
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