A U.S. Air Force infographic on the F-35A’s deployment to Mountain Home Air Force Base revealed that the jet scored a 8:0 kill ratio against the F-15E during mock air combat.
The victories were clocked by combat-coded F-35As from Hill Air Force Base and were part of the evaluation process needed in order to declare the jet is initially operationally capable.
The seven jets and their pilots must also demonstrate they are able to carry out basic close air support and limited SEAD/DEAD missions.
For that, the crews were able to attain a 100 percent sortie generation rate with 88 of 88 planned sorties and a 94 percent hit rate with 15 of 16 GBU-12 bombs on target.
>>30388463
They flew 88 sorties and dropped 16 bombs?
>/k/ BTFO
B
T
F
O
F-35 MASTER AIRCRAFT CONFIRMED.
>>30388470
>i can`t read
OCA
SEAD
AI
DCA
CAS
Not all of it requires bombing runs.
>a plane that Forbes said was bad is actually good
WOW WHAT A FUCKING SURPRISE STOP THE FUCKING PRESSES.
>>30388463
Are expectations so low beating a 28 year old plane is now cause for celebration?
>dog fights
Wait, so was it BVR or VWR?
Quite a difference.
Frankly, I doubt it could score 8:0 against F-15 in an actual close combat.
BVR? Without a doubt, F-35 will detect and track F-15 long before it will notice a faint signature of F-35.
>>30388476
/k/* has always been with the F-35 after about 2012 or so, and people woke up.
>*chicoms and vatniks are not /k/.
>>30388493
It`s airfame is inferior to that of F-15. It`s got better high AoA handling - that`s what pilots say when comparing to F-16 - but considering how good F-15 is, yeah!
>>30388496
There is hardly a threshold between BVR and then WVR.
Its not like a line you cross and now you can win.
If a F-35 maneuver behind and level (or just below) an F-15, it can be 3 feet from it and the F-15 wont see it.
Being that the F-35 can watch it the entire time, and orient itself behind him, it can make even WVR shots without being seen. At 10-15 miles, well within the Aim-9 NEZ, the F-35 is a speck on the sky.
You cant jump a F-35 like that, with its total 360 degree awareness.
>>30388517
>Aim-9 NEZ, the F-35 is a speck on the sky.
F-35 can carry AIM-9(X) only externally, rendering it`s low signature meaningless.
>>30388534
>meaningless
Wouldn't say that, but it defiantly raises its RCS (we can't know how much). 4 AIM-120s are enough though, 6 will be even better when it gets that update.
>>30388534
It will only increase its RCS by that of the aim-9x's RCS, which is not all that much.
You ignore the fact that the F-35 can completely avoid the frontal radar cone of the F-15, and ingress and attack from the front and sides. The F-15 wont see the F-35 at 100 km, even with Aim-9's on the wings, but the F-35 will sure as shit see the F-15.
If you want to get real pedantic, then Aim-120's or Aim-132's in the bay.
>>30388482
SEAD, CAS and AI certainly do.
It is a STRIKE fighter after all.
>>30388591
You don't know the makeup of the missions.
I mean, judging by the bombs alone it was mostly OCA and DCA.
I dont get your issue here.
FTA, IOC certification for "two GBU-31s and two GBU-12s, or two AMRAAMs." So, likely BVR.