Quote:
Originally Posted by GGTharos
Well, they can do a scan, much like a radar ... the F-14's IRST did and does that, and the MiG-29A's did also ... but I believe there might be processing issues ... and while they've gotten much better now, well ... I can just imagine the number of false positives.
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Unless that little thing can do a fast 360 x 360 degree scan, you still have to narrow it down quite a bit. I'm sure most IRSTS have a wider azimuth range than their attached radars, but its still a crapshoot if you dont know where your enemy is, at least in a general direction.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dago
As we all know, usually the Navy, not the Air Force, is usually the first to be called upon and placed in the hot spots of remote areas around the globe, and subsequently tasked with projecting as well as confronting denied airspace to assure no such challenges exist, and if need be, eliminated. Especially, in time critical, surgical strikes.
With that said, it may be the F-35's knocking down the door, even though, in irony, that it will be deployed some years after that of the F-22', with it's primary motto being, "knocking down the door". Before of that we see the F-22' knocking down the door.
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Its an interesting theory, but way too broad. There have been plenty of examples where you're right, the Navy is the first on the scene. But a shining example of you being wrong is when Desert Shield was first starting up. The first US forces to receieve the "GO" order were 48 F-15Cs from the 1st Fighter Wing at Langley AFB and the 552 AWACS Wing.
Personally I think there's a snowball's chance in hell that the Air Force would accept the F-35 as its front-line fighter. I honestly believe they would divert funds to upgrading more F-15s and maintain them longer.