My question is how much of a leap is the prospective F35 sensor fusion above the levels being achieved with latest tranche Typhoons, Rafales, F18s and Gripens, or should I say the 4.5 Gen fighters?
Depends on who you ask. Ask folks like LtCol Berke who has flown the latest and greatest Gen 4 fighters (F/A-18, F-16 and Typhoon)
and both of the Gen 5 fighters (F-22 and F-35) and he says the leap is huge and requires a whole new mindset and way of fighting. He also says pilots of Gen 4 aircraft (including himself) have a tough time making that leap.
I don't know if this is a proper analogy, but lets try it.
Suppose warfare was entirely based on hand weapons like swords and spears (as it was for centuries) and someone gives one army rifles. It takes a whole new way of fighting to make best use of the rifle. The naysayers will say it can't work because what happens when you run out of ammo? A sword never runs out of ammo. Guys used to swords have a tough time adjusting to the new way of fighting where you avoid the merge rather than aggressively push for the merge. And what happens when opposing forces
do merge (and of course it is "obvious" that the forces "must" merge) and everyone is fighting hand-to-hand? Sure, you can attach a bayonet to the rifle and use it like a sword, but it's a lousy sword.
I see the F-35 in much the same way. It requires a whole new skill set to operate, and a whole new set of tactics to employ to best effect. And while it has the ability to merge and fight close-in, that's not what it was designed for. Further, if you get to that point you haven't used/fought the weapon correctly.
Bad analogy?