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USAF Speeds Next-Gen Fighter Family, With Eye Toward China
As said earlier : F35 is only a stop gap fighter. No FOC and already another plane on study....
http://aviationweek.com/defense/usa...m=email&elq2=b8ecc0a59f894b3e856d783333796be7
You call a 1,700 plus order of F-35As a stop gap? If that's a stop gap then what would you call the 280 Rafale order of the French Air Force ---- a farce?
Inevitably, 5th gen will give way to 6th gen, 6th gen will give way to 7th gen, and so on. That's the nature of fighter evolution. As long as people are still killing each other then fighters as an implement of war will continue to evolve to match the changing times.
Air dominance is an area that the US will not cede to any adversary now and in the future. The US will always try to maintain a step ahead in fighter technology against its rivals. So when its rivals have aready fielded 5th gen, it'll be time for the US to prepare the next gen of fighter to stay ahead. In fact, the US has been formulating concepts for 5th gen fighters even before China fielded J-20.
But do note that both teh F-22 and the F-35 will be around for a long time, up to 2050. There's already an upgrade road map for these fighters. The F-22 will already up for MLU in 2022 and USAF is looking at tech developed from F-35 to augment F-22s current tech.
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