PPRuNe Forums - View Single Post - F-35 Cancelled, then what ?
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Old 14th Jul 2015, 14:31
  #6797 (permalink)  
KenV
 
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I think everyone here understands the difference between weapons carriage that is stealthy until the WVR fight starts, and external carriage. In WVR, RCS by definition no longer matters. So your point is entirely invalid. Again.
I don't know how to state this in a "professional" and non "personal" manner as requested, but here goes: hilariously false. Again. A radar guided missile is NOT only used in the long range BVR environment. Many AMRAAMS for example have been shot in a WVR environment. Not even Sparrows were used BVR only and indeed most (the vast majority of?) Sparrows were shot WVR. So RCS is most certainly applicable in a WVR environment, especially in a head-on shot and in many (most?) shots taken from other than the target's six. And yes, I know that many modern IR guided missiles have a head-on capability and don't necessarily need a tail shot. That's why the F-35 is IR stealthy in every aspect but the rear. It takes away the opponent's chance for a shot anywhere but from the six. And certainly one knows that even in such very close quarters where a gun can be used, a gun engagement requires radar to determine range for the computer to compute the gun firing solution. Take away your opponent's ability to determine range, and you've effectively taken away your opponent's gun.

Last edited by KenV; 14th Jul 2015 at 14:45.
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