Firstly why do you assume that F-35 once produce will not have any further development?
The particular "feat" you were describing, what were the limitations of the exercise? A2A missiles available? Was F-22 using AMRAAM ? Rafale does not have Meteor, So it would only have MICA thus range of 60 kms, It it was actual combat, you think Rafale would really get that close? The same goes for Eurofighter.. The main thing is who will detect the other first. detected does the attacker have missiles that can target the defender at that range.
Coming back to F-35 , it has AN/APG-81 which has 1,676 GaAs T/R modules and that it's most likely the most advanced fighter radar yet and thus the detection range is much better than that of Rafales smaller RBE-2AA which can boast about 1000 TRMs Thus F-35 approximately has at least about 50% more modules than Rafales RBE-2AA.. Thus detection first, ability to fire first.
About Rafale,, 90% of pro Rafales BS depends on SPECTRA, there are many questions being asked about the actual performance of SPECTRA. If you ask the French, they are going to say its classified,, maybe it is, but thats also the same statement used when you are not sure. Indian pilots evaluated the 6 planes in MRCA competition, they have not reported as SPECTRA being a game changer, they did however say that Rafale had the best sensor fusion suite.. which means that the information about the various sensors is available to pilot in much better way helping his efficiency.. This sort of Sensor fusion is very much possible and countries are doing it. But like I said before SPECTRA is sensor fusion suite of the various including Radar, Eurofighter has DASS which is system like SPECTRA and works in same way.
the company which manufactured F-16 is the one making F-35, and they themselves say that F-35 is way ahead of F-16.. let us regard this as marketing BS for time being and simply it. USA is one of the most aggressive nations and they see that in future, they can change the way combat is done. Surely air combat has evolved, Earlier British planes were just flying, and then Oswald Boelcke organised it into Jagdstaffeln (JASTA, fighter squadrons) where the aces were put in one combat unit so that they can be more effective. They also developed perhaps the first textbook of basic dog fighting.. Then the evolution about air fighting where some countries prefered flying V as basic unit (3 planes) and the other prefered Finger four (like four fingers on your hand and these are actually 2 pairs of lead and wingman) Air combat has evolved from "in your face" dog fighting now to almost being a sniper in the sky. The way American defence looks at F-35 is like group of snipers. They will be flying in lose group of 4 and hunting down planes in this group assisting each other. If you can shoot an enemy from distance, why to go face to face? Thats the concept behind F-35. F-35 will also do CAS but it will not be flying LOW. but it will simply carry bombs and A2G missiles that can hit the target with pinpoint accuracy. what else is CAS? It is to support your infantry at company level by putting ordnance right on the enemy thus destroying or disorienting the enemy thus helping your infantry units which have small arms to be able to take down the defensive position.
Few things are certain though
a) F-35 will not be the fastest plane, Thus if its out of missiles,, heaven help the pilot
b) It is not designed to fly 60,000 ft or so, its going to own the sky from 10K to 40K feet. at least
c) It is not designed to dog fight and hence dont come up with questions about Eurocanards being superior in Dog fight.. If you have an assault rifle and lots of spare mags, you do not run from 500 meters to use bayonet. Not if the enemy has an assault rifle and lot of reloads.
d) F-22 and F-35 will be complimentary. For some people who like dogfights, please refer to F-22 The designs and the roles for F-22 are different, F-22 is air dominance plane that can also strike (master of one), F-35 is MRCA (jack of all)
So, till the time, Eurocanards do not come up with powerful radar which can detect F-35 at much longer ranges, they are easy meat. The plane that detects and attacks first win.
And about SPECTRA... Seems the Libyan Radars were able to detect Rafales even when the Rafales were using SPECTRA.. thats SPECTRA in nutshell.. So when Libyan Radars can detect a plane which carries something that helps it be "invisible to radar" then there is something very much out of place.
Someone did talk about MACE etc .. The French are apparently happy using todays (or decade old tech) to outwit a Russain 2 decade old tech... priceless.
That is if the opponents field A-4 and A-10 kind of planes. If they field anything like a loaded F-16D or higher, then what?
Say for example a Rafale.
If Rafale could hunt the F-22 on a good day, a feet only to be later repeated by Typhoon and Growler, how long do you think the F-35 will remain safe?
), they will be unmature radars as RBE2 PESA was in 2001 with the first Rafale M F1 on line.
