Originally Posted by busdriver2
I don't agree with your assessment, but what makes you think the cruise missiles will fair any better?
Because it's much cheaper to saturate the defense with cruise missiles than with the F35s.
I fail to see why you think 2 AWACs would somehow close the airspace over Korea. If that were the case, the whole DMZ problem would have been solved years ago. Detecting the pretense of an LO platform is a very different animal from being able to engage it.
AN/TPY-2 isn't AWACS surveillance, but a mobile ground engagement installation with a range that pushes any bomb slinging out of the question.
N.Korea aside, if Chinese lay their hands on such a radar however (providing they haven't already) you're most likely back to square one, but with only half or less of the total TAC inventory compared to legacy fleet and since you'll probably end up shooting cruise missiles anyway, does the LO requirement justify the cost difference and what's the bottom line in comparable fleets' efficiency?
Don't get me wrong, I'm all about the progress.
It's just that I don't see it coming with F35 as it has been advertised.