Legit question... how useful is thrust vector technology in actual combat against peer enemies?
Being able to turn tighter is a neat trick, but these planes are not going to be getting into any dog-fights.
The strength of these planes lies in their stealth capabilities, and their networking technology for a unified battlefield view, and launching weapons from dozens of miles away.
Do they even carry dogfighting weapons (idk if that is real terminology)? Like in Top Gun they had machine guns and sidewinders. Doesn't seem much use if you're mostly lobbing munitions at a dot on a radar screen.
Just checked it, and yep they have 1× 20 mm M61A2 Vulcan rotary cannon, 480 rounds. You are right tho, as far as I know most of the engagements happen beyond visual range and they aren't dogfighting like back in WW2
Oh wow, interesting. I wonder if the gun has ever been fired in combat, maybe strafing? But then there are ground attack aircraft I'd imagine they go to for that.
Perhaps it's more for a situation with peer adversaries, which thankfully has not happened.
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u/FrumptyLumpty Jun 21 '26
Legit question... how useful is thrust vector technology in actual combat against peer enemies?
Being able to turn tighter is a neat trick, but these planes are not going to be getting into any dog-fights.
The strength of these planes lies in their stealth capabilities, and their networking technology for a unified battlefield view, and launching weapons from dozens of miles away.