BEST FIGHTER FOR CANADA

X-47B Pegasus Captain Buster felt his stomach tie in knots when he was told the news.  How was this possible?  After countless years as one of the RCAF's most talented pilots, he was now wondering what he would end up doing until retirement. "Sorry Captain...  But I'm afraid you are now obsolete.  These new drones are cheaper, stealthier, fly longer, and can maneuver way harder than any manned fighter.  They really are the future don't you see?" Captain Buster was not convinced.  "How is some bucket of bolts going to make up for years of experience?" "That's the beauty of it, don't you see?  We just upgrade the software every couple of years and these things will be better than you could ever be!  Don't feel so bad.  It's much safer to stay on the ground anyway." "I don't know how to do anything except fly!  What am I supposed to do?" "Maybe we can switch you over to flying a transport or somethi...

Thanks for the link Canuck Fighter! http://www.cnas.org/sites/default/files/publications-pdf/CNAS_CarrierAirWing_white.pdf For those who missed it, commenter Canuck Fighter  posted a like to this excellent white paper regarding the United States Navy and the decision it will have to make regarding its carrier air wing. For those of you not willing to delve into the report, here is the general gist of the USN's options. Option 1:  Damn the torpedoes...  Full speed (slowly) ahead .  The F-35 is already late, and may not see wide use from American super carriers until at least 2025, possibly even later. By then, the USN's current legacy Hornet fleet will be worn out and obsolete.  Without the JSF waiting in the wings, fighter capability will be severely reduced as the USN's current Super Hornet fleet will be tasked with pulling double-duty. This does have the option of being the "easiest" route to follow, as well as reducing spending in the short...

Northrop Grumman X-47B Pegasus While the F-35 program continues to stumble along at a snail's pace , progress towards the UCLASS (unmanned carrier launched airborne surveillance and strike) has progressed rather quickly and cleanly.  This was demonstrated recently when Northrop Grumman's X-47B Pegasus demonstrated its ability to operate alongside other aircraft types aboard an aircraft carrier .  Meanwhile, problems with the F-35C's tailhook has delayed carrier testing until later this fall . On September 10, the Pentagon will decide the ultimate fate of the UCLASS program .  Given the X-47B's successful testing, it would seem foolish to simply give up on the concept.  In little over three years, the X-47B has proven itself.  Its performance has been so consistent that testing has actually been cut short  for the simple reason that the UAV has nothing left to prove. How has the Pegasus fared so well when other modern military developments have been...

The good news:  Your prostate is fine  The bad news:  The proctologist can't find his ring... Despite Loren Thompson's  assertion that the Pentagon's Director of Operational Test and Evaluations (DOT&E) report on the F-35's status " doesn't matter ", the general consensus is that the F-35 is going to be late .   That is...   Even later than its originally planned 2008 entry into service.  It is quickly approaching the one decade mark, with 2016 being the likely initial operational capability (IOC) with the USMC.  The USAF is looking at December 2016, while the USN is looking at 2019.  Needless to say, any further delay could likely push initial JSF deliveries well into the next decade. Meanwhile, the Lightning II hasn't exactly gotten ringing endorsements from the USAF or the USN. One of these is an an air-superiority fighter.  The other, notsomuch. General Michael Hostage, head of the USAF's Air Combat Command, recen...