F-35 Might Be Outperformed By Fourth-Generation Fighters

savuporo writes: Defensetech.org posted a story relaying a report from National Security Network titled "Thunder without Lightning: The High Costs and Limited Benefits of the F-35 Program". According to the story, F-35 is outperformed or showing only slight advantages in simulations and limited real-life tests by decades old 4th-generation fighters like F-16 and F18, but also MiG-29 Fulcrum and Su-27 Flanker, that are of course made by Russia and latter also produced in China. The story also refers back to earlier report last month of F-35 performing poorly in dogfights. "In one simulation subcontracted by the RAND Corporation, the F-35 incurred a loss exchange ratio of 2.4–1 against Chinese Su-35s. That is, more than two F-35s were lost for each Su-35 shot down."

Comments

Unfair T/W ratio and wing loading comparison

[hkultala]

So they did their thrust/weight and wing loading comparison by loading all jets with 50% of internal fuel.

This comparison favours planes with small internal fuel tanks.

F-35 has huge internal fuel tanks, it can fly much longer with internal fuel than most other jet fighters (which need external fuel tanks, which are NOT calculated in these numbers) to fly as far.

Load all jets with amount of fuel that makes them fly about equally far and the numbers switch considerably, on favour of F-35.