LL;
the PRC develops technology that hasn't been stolen I will be concerned. I have spoken with a person who has written Defense White papers and he thinks the F35 is a great machine. I think he would know what he is talking about.]
There are two problems here:
- the first is the assumption that China is technically backward and the only reason for it’s rise is that it “steals technology from the West.” From personal experience this is not only untrue but it leads to a dangerous underestimating of China’s capabilities. It is however a very common and comforting assumption to make.
- the second is that air wars are going to be fought using an American paradigm, and I am including in that all the drone swarming, unmanned aircraft stuff that people are probably playing with behind the scenes. I’m sure the F35 is more than capable by these standards, but what if the Chinese and Russians don’t decide to play that way?
For example I’m sure all this datalink stuff and battlespace domination stuff looks real cool in a powerpoint presentation, but what if the slightest emf radiation draws an accurate hypersonic anti radiation missile?
We we have grown our armed forces to fight little brown people with small arms and not much technology. Facing China or Russia is a very different kettle of fish. The F35 could easily turn out to be the equivalent of the Boulton Paul Defiant, then where are we?