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7/4/2025, 3:04:32 AM
>>23364807
>You don't seem to understand that guns are a necessary backup. What happens if an F-35 engages an enemy when it's out of missiles?
They haven't been "necessary" for decades now. Go ahead and do the research: count all the times there have been air-to-air gun engagements since Vietnam across all conflicts (Falklands, Desert Storm, Kosovo, the various Israeli operations, Ukraine, etc). This scenario of yours is just not a thing that happens anymore, and if a fighter pilot finds itself out of AAMs, then it has to disengage.
Also, you are aware that the B and C variants have to use an external gunpod, right? Granted, it's stealthy, but it's still an additional component that a pilot can choose to do without if the situation requires it. The V/STOL F-35B is intended to replace the Harrier in the ground support mission, so the pod is there for strafing runs.
>Its also the reason why the F-35 should have used a dual engine design. The US Navy originally wanted a dual engine design for the F-35 for safety, but also because of extra payload capacity.
>Dual engines = larger payload capacity = ability to carry more weapons = larger internal weapons bay.
>But the US Navy compromised with the other branches. They still aren't happy about the single engine design
The USN always complains about having to share its toys with the USAF. While the actual savings of shared fighter programs are questionable, they still make sense from an administrative point of view.
>You don't seem to understand that guns are a necessary backup. What happens if an F-35 engages an enemy when it's out of missiles?
They haven't been "necessary" for decades now. Go ahead and do the research: count all the times there have been air-to-air gun engagements since Vietnam across all conflicts (Falklands, Desert Storm, Kosovo, the various Israeli operations, Ukraine, etc). This scenario of yours is just not a thing that happens anymore, and if a fighter pilot finds itself out of AAMs, then it has to disengage.
Also, you are aware that the B and C variants have to use an external gunpod, right? Granted, it's stealthy, but it's still an additional component that a pilot can choose to do without if the situation requires it. The V/STOL F-35B is intended to replace the Harrier in the ground support mission, so the pod is there for strafing runs.
>Its also the reason why the F-35 should have used a dual engine design. The US Navy originally wanted a dual engine design for the F-35 for safety, but also because of extra payload capacity.
>Dual engines = larger payload capacity = ability to carry more weapons = larger internal weapons bay.
>But the US Navy compromised with the other branches. They still aren't happy about the single engine design
The USN always complains about having to share its toys with the USAF. While the actual savings of shared fighter programs are questionable, they still make sense from an administrative point of view.
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