The Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II, described by US media as “a pure
gold plane” for its exorbitant price tag, would find itself helpless in a dogfight
with Russia’s fourth-generation Su-27 and MiG-29 jets, Pierre Sprey said.
“The Su-27 and even the MiG-29 have bigger wing space, more powerful
engines and carry more air-to-air and air-to-ground weapons… That’s why the
F-35 will be totally helpless against both because when you confront a plane,
which is more maneuverable, accelerates faster and is better armed then you are
in trouble,” he added.
Few people are as qualified to speak about fighter aircraft as Pierre Sprey. He is the co-designer of the F-16 Falcon jet and the A-10 Warthog tank buster, two of the most successful aircraft in the US Air Force.
Few people are as qualified to speak about fighter aircraft as Pierre Sprey. He is the co-designer of the F-16 Falcon jet and the A-10 Warthog tank buster, two of the most successful aircraft in the US Air Force.
“The F-35 is so bad it is absolutely hopeless when pitted against modern
aircraft. In fact, it would be ripped to shreds even by the antiquated MiG-21,”
Sprey told RT, commenting on a recent expert report, which dismissed the F-35
project as a total failure.
According to a report released by the National
Security Network, the DOD plans to purchase and operate nearly 2, 500 aircrafts
costing US around $1.4 trillion.
In light of that,
analyst Bill French wrote a report titled “Thunder without lightning: high
cost and limited benefit development program of F-35,” reviewing the new
aircraft.
The document states
that according to the technical parameters the F-35 is “losing to the
fourth-generation fighter MiG-29 and Su-27, developed by the Russian Air
Force and used around the world.”
The Soviet MiG-29 and Su-27 fighter aircraft are
superior in technical performance than the new US fighter aircraft
F-35. The conclusion was reached by the American analyst Bill French,
working for a non-profit organization National Security Network.“The F-35
is significantly inferior to the Russian Su-27 and MiG-29 in regard
to wing loading (exception — F35C), acceleration and thrust-weight ratio
(the ratio of thrust to weight of the aircraft),” said the
analyst.
Besides, all
of the F-35s have significantly lower maximum speed as compared
to the Soviet Union aircrafts. Mr. French also deliberated that in a
simulation of air combat, the results draw even “grimmer picture.”
According to him,
in 2009 the analysts of US Air Force Intelligence and the Lockheed
Martin Company, which developed the new American fighter, noted that
despite the superiority of the F-35 in regard to stealth
technology and avionics, if compared to the Su-27 and MiG —29 the
loss ratio is to be expected 3: 1. That is, for each destroyed Su-27
or MiG-29 there would be three F-35 destroyed. Also, in a real educational
dogfight, a veteran in a US Air Force F-16 easily won over the F-35.
The latter clearly did
not have enough maneuverability — the aircraft never managed to take
a position for launching missiles or firing a gun, while the F-16 managed
to catch opponent in sight at least 10 times.
Earlier the problems
associated with the F-35 were also noticed in Australia. News.com.au
compared the F- 35 to the latest fifth-generation T-50 fighter. The portal
noted, judging by the videos, the Russian aircraft significantly exceeds
US maneuverability.
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