Invisible Threat

[SUBMAN1]

Originally Posted by PeriscopeDepth

Which makes a farce of our future air forces. USAF and USN both plan for China as "the ultimate enemy". Yet they both proceed to procure a VLO fighter with a 600nm combat radius in the thousands. Does anyone honestly believe in 2025+ a US CVBG (er, CSG now. I keep on forgetting.) will be able to survive within 1,000nm of the Chinese coast? Let alone 500. And pray tell where will the USAF be basing its F-35s to stike China? Both services will have to tank like mad to get there. Which will render the USN's carrier decks nearly useless due to a pitiful sortie rate (the other half of the fighter wing, SuperHornets will have its hands full passing gas to the F-35s).

The name of the game in future airpower will be radius. Which demands a manned bomber with a self defense capability or swarms of UCAVs.

PD

Now you know why tankers are overly important and such a big deal lately. This gives the aircraft unlimited range.

-S