Originally Posted by
Lima Juliet
Yes, but put the same on a F35B and you’d be lucky to get outside of the Ship’s RADAR horizon!
Also, you then have to think about whether it can VTOL back onto the boat with all that extra stuff on board and also whether it can physically carry 3x ALQ-99 (which is way more capable than the bog standard F35B’s current suite) , 2x HARMs, extra fuel tanks and then some self defence weapons. Also, ALQ-99 is due to be replaced by the ALQ-249 Next Generation Jammer (NGJ - with 2 replacing the legacy 3) within the next couple of years which is more capable and less draggy as I understand it?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jx-thY9ce90
The aircraft are complimentary, rather than competitors.
Their range/endurance is similar enough that it isn’t a fundamentally limiting factor for either when operating together, although the B is at a handicap in that dept compared to its brothers