From what I understand, we have the F-15, F-16, F-117, F-22 and F-35.
Why do we need all these different models? I assume each specializes in something…what is it?
In: Engineering
– F-16: a small, lightweight, flexible fighter that can dogfight, do ground strikes, and do all-purpose work. It’s cheap, easy to learn how to fly, and can be exported. A 70s era design, but with continually upgraded avionics etc.
– F-15: a large, powerful, heavy air superiority fighter. It’s designed to engage and kill other fighters both from over the horizon and in dogfights. It has a huge onboard radar and powerful avionics, and is basically our one-up on everyone else from the 70s until the 00s. Only exported to a few partners, and then with downgraded avionics.
– F-22: the stealth replacement for F-15. It can do everything F-15 can, plus it has thrust vectoring and better avionics. NOT for export. Again, this is our one-up on everyone else. A 90s era design, but with modern avionics.
– F-35: the stealth replacement for F-16 (Air Force), A-10 (Air Force), F-18 (Navy + Marines), and the Harrier (Marines), as well as kinda/sorta for F-22. It’s not quite as capable as A-10 or F-22 for some parts of their missions, but it’s vastly more capable than the other jets it’s replacing, plus (in theory) it’s cheaper and easier to operate a single platform than many different ones. An 00s-10s era design.
– F-117: is retired, and has been for some years, but it was mostly a ground-strike aircraft, due to the fact that it flew like a pig and was hard to maneuver. It was an early 80s design.
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