F-35 team argues: “Maneuverability doesn’t matter”

May 10, 2009 · Posted in Uncategorized

As Steve Trimble reports, the team behind the F-35 has began countering the allegations of inferior kinematic performance (as expressed, for example, in the infamous RAND report) by flatly regarding them as irrelevant:

"With [the F-35’s Distributed Aperture System and high off-boresight weapons], maneuverability is irrelevant. Instead of mutual kills, the F-35 simply exits the fight, and lets its missiles do the turning."

Naturally, not everyone agrees on this. ELP, for example. It doesn’t help that those with a bit historical perspective remember similar bold claims being made back when the Sparrow-armed Phantom was all the rage.

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