Originally Posted by Jimmy

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.



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.