PPRuNe Forums - View Single Post - F-35 Cancelled, then what ?
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Old 17th May 2013, 09:35
  #2414 (permalink)  
PhilipG
 
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Is Stealth like Altitude?

For our "friends" who believe that the F35 is the answer to everything, is it worth comparing Stealth with Altitude?
The first generation of strategic nuclear bombers, B52, B58, Vulcan, Victor and Valiant as I understand initially used altitude as a means of protection, no fighter or SAM could reach them, they could get to their targets and drop buckets of sunshine or do whatever they wanted to. A certain U2 with Garry Powers on board brought the altitude is safety school of thought to an abrupt halt, the V bombers went lower level, which the Valiant could not do etc.
The moral as others have said is that one technological advance leads to another retaliatory advance. Implicitly a "radar" or other technology solution will be developed that will enable people to detect F35s, then the roundabout starts all over again, slightly similar to MAD....
Altitude worked for a while...
A particular type of stealth will work for a while...
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