Stig wrote on Oct 2
nd, 2018 at 8:25am:
One Tornado was shot down by a Mig-29.
Luck or the lack of it, invariably plays a huge part in combat and in particular air combat. All that is needed is a second's inattention or distraction in the cockpit and the plane you are flying could be toast. Air combat occurs less frequently now, than in WWII or WWI but the same problems still apply. "Beware the Hun in the Sun," was coined because it was true - the Luftwaffe used to use the position of the sun to hide their aircraft and creep up on their intended victims. Pilots that do not check their six and look sunwards will be bounced by enemy aircraft.
The F-35 addresses this. Partly by using stealth to become nearly invisible to enemy radars and partly through the use of EO (Electro-Optical) systems which allow the aircraft to detect approaching missiles and allows the pilot to "look through" the aircraft to quarters that would normally be invisible to him. No other aircraft in production at the moment has this facility, only the F-35 possesses it.
Most of the detractors of the F-35 do not or will not understand that the present moment there is nothing comparable to the F-35, either in the West or the East. No Russian or Chinese aircraft is as stealthy or possesses the same facilities which make the F-35 their superior.
The RAAF because it has an urgent need for a replacement for it's aged fleet of F/A-18A/Bs needs to purchase the F-35. Unfortunately, it needs to do so early in the production run of the aircraft, when it is more expensive to purchase them than later in the production run when it would be cheaper to buy them ("economies of scale" produce that effect). If instead of purchasing the F/A-18A/Bs replacement in one job lot it spread the purchase out over a decade, the prices would fall dramatically. However, that is not how the ADF operates unfortunately.
Will the F-35 always be superior to Russian/Chinese/Swedish/European aircraft? More than likely not. In 20 years there will be other, newer aircraft on the market. However, we cannot wait 20 years for our replacement aircraft - nor would we necessarily get the other newer aircraft as cheap as we are getting the F-35. Our membership in the US alliance assures us of cheaper FMS (Foreign Military Sales) prices which are significantly cheaper than what are paid commercially for military products. It is the one good thing about being closely allied to the US IMO.
So, think about the now, children, not the future. NOW we need a replacement fighter-bomber, which will replace the F/A-18A/Bs we presently operate and enhance the capabilities of the RAAF. We cannot afford to wait. Simples really.