There is a reason countries are lining up to buy the F-35 and foregoing thinking about lower cost, less advanced planes like the F-18 or Gripen, and the Israeli assessment laid it out.
The plane is not without faults, of those it has plenty. But the upside is very high.
I heard someone say once (and I paraphrase) “If you get into a dogfight with an F-35, you have already squandered all the things that give it advantages.”
Notice Israel refers to it as a “strategic asset”.
I’ll look for the link, but it was reported the IR sensors on the F-35 once detected an AA missile test launch from Vandenberg...from 740 miles away.
And tracked it.
IR only.
Of course from that distance it had to flying high.
It can detect other aircraft and target them via IR only. No radar needed. While just about everyone has some IR detection now, this system is reportedly 3-4x more sensitive. And precise.
Moreover, it has a huge database of IR signatures on board so that it can identify what it detects and present only “threats” to the pilot.
This aircraft rarely uses its radar. When it does it’s usually to build the data network to link all other aircraft together as a single entity with a single view of the battle space. Even to control UACVs.
Imagine 4 UACVs attached to every F-35. Stealth units of course.
It’s revolutionary.
‘I heard someone say once (and I paraphrase) “If you get into a dogfight with an F-35, you have already squandered all the things that give it advantages.”’
The concept of “dogfight” is changing drastically with the advent of high off-boresight missiles, and even rear-firing missiles (SU aircraft). F-35 pilots will be able to cue AIM-9X (Sidewinder) IR missiles using their helmets, similar to Apache pilots/gunners aiming their 30mm cannons by looking at the target. The F-35 is the first fighter since the ‘70s to not have a heads up display (HUD). The helmet fills that role.
It is very possible that F-35s will be sighted either by IR or during daylight hours. In those cases, they may engage at shorter ranges than usual. I expect they will do just fine, and fight more effectively than any Gen 4 fighter - due to the shorter OODA loop more than anything. Only the F-22 is a superior air dominance fighter - and it could really benefit from some of the F-35’s capabilities.