Can't even shoot the messenger
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New U.S. Stealth Jet Can’t Fire Its Gun Until 2019
Ouch. Why not?
“There will be no gun until [the Joint Strike Fighter’s Block] 3F [software], there is no software to support it now or for the next four-ish years,” said one Air Force official affiliated with the F-35 program. “Block 3F is slated for release in 2019, but who knows how much that will slip?”
The article couldn't find out what the problem was. Missing requirements? Too many bugs? No one is saying, apparently. What sort of gun can't we shoot, anyways?
Right now, the F-35’s software doesn’t support the use of the aircraft’s GAU-22/A four-barreled rotary cannon. The weapon was developed from the U.S. Marine Corps’ AV-8B Harrier II jump-jet’s GAU-12/U cannon, but it has one fewer barrel and weighs less.
It’s also supposed to be more accurate—when it can be fired, that is. The gun can shoot 3,300 rounds per minute...
Man, that sounds good. But...
...though the Air Force’s F-35A version can carry just 180 rounds for the gun...the Navy and Marines carries slightly more ammo, with 220 rounds, some in the military are complaining that it’s not enough. “So, about good for one tactical burst,” the first Air Force official said. “Hope you don’t miss.”
Wow. But hey, this is a super jet, right? Why do they even need guns?
The lack of a cannon is a particular problem, as the F-35 is being counted on to help out infantrymen under fire.
Oh, right.
What a fucking boondoggle.
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The F-35 program is full of WTFs.
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3,300 rounds per minute but only carries 180 rounds?
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The F-35 program is full of WTFs.
Totally. This is just the latest one that I've seen.
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Hmmm.... for the same weight, they could carry one machine gun burst or four Hellfire missiles. I wonder which could take out more enemies?
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I wonder which could take out more enemies?
The Hellfire might take out some friendlies, too, which is partly why the gun is important. Or would be if it had any ammunition and a way to fire it.
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Let me do the math for you: that's 3.27 seconds.
Presumably it doesn't have to shoot at 3,300 rounds per minute though, so it can last a little bit longer.
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The Hellfire might take out some friendlies, too
I'm pretty sure that firing 55 25mm rounds per second will create a "zone of death" as large as a missile's.
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Never heard of the F-35 before; is it meant to be a rival to the Eurofighter Typhoon? In which case, why don't they just buy in a whole flock of Typhoons instead? Or just stick with the F-15 a bit longer?
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I'm pretty sure that firing 55 25mm rounds per second will create a "zone of death" as large as a missile's.
Possibly, but in a much more predictable and controllable space, which is critical if you're one of the guys on the ground.
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Never heard of the F-35 before; is it meant to be a rival to the Eurofighter Typhoon?
No, it's just the next generation fighter for the US.
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No, it's just the next generation fighter for the US.
That's kinda what I meant.I suppose I should have said 'equivalent' instead of 'rival'
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The Navy dropped the requirement for a gun from the F-4 back in the sixties - since everybody "knew" that all combat would occur at long-range via radar-guided missiles.
That didn't work out very well either, and they re-instituted the requirement.
Also note how the radar-guided Sparrow was developed through normal contracting channels, while the far less expensive and very effective heat-seeking Sidewinder was hacked together by some engineers at China Lake.
Do I even need to bring up the comparison between a fighter plane without a gun and a certain software product we all know...??
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What a fucking boondoggle.
That's Lockheed, yes? The same mob who signed some kind of agreement with EESTOR?
The clueless is strong with this one.
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What a fucking boondoggle.
Nearly everything about the F-35 is a boondoggle. For one thing, even though it's slated to replace the A-10, it isn't actually designed to do the things the A-10 does.
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3,300 rounds per minute but only carries 180 rounds?
The A-10's fire rate is even higher: 3900rpm. It only carries about 1200 rounds, though, because you don't fire except in short bursts.
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Never heard of the F-35 before;
The fuck!?
is it meant to be a rival to the Eurofighter Typhoon?
No; it's meant to replace the A-10, F-15, F-16, F-18, and F-22 all at once. And also include VTOL. Which is why it's such a shitty plane.
In which case, why don't they just buy in a whole flock of Typhoons instead?
Like the US Air Force would buy any plane with "Euro" in the name.
As long as they don't cancel the A-10 program, we can get along. Although they've been trying to reduce it to 100 planes instead of 300.
I wouldn't mind uppping the F-22 order, either. That's a pretty sweet-ass plane. Oh, and you can operate a F-22 or a A-10 for a small fraction of the cost of a single F-35. (The A-10 is more like an order of magnitude.) And they do a much better job at the things the F-35's supposed to be doing. Even once it is working. Which it isn't.
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Nearly everything about the F-35 is a boondoggle. For one thing, even though it's slated to replace the A-10, it isn't actually designed to do the things the A-10 does.
And what aircraft does??
They've been trying to retire the A-10, for what, 25 years?
I live near an A-10 unit. I weep a small tear of gratitude every time one of them roars overhead.
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As long as they don't cancel the A-10 program, we can get along. Although they've been trying to reduce it to 100 planes instead of 300.
The Air Force would cancel the A-10 in a hot second if they could, because they're stupid.
I wouldn't mind uppping the F-22 order, either.
President Bumblefuck disagrees with you--for some reason he hates that plane and wants to get rid of it.
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The Air Force would cancel the A-10 in a hot second if they could, because they're stupid.
The Air Force only likes planes with pointy ends. Which is a shame, because:
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they won't let anybody else operate the A-10
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they hate the A-10 with a passion and would cancel the program in a millisecond if Congress would let them
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dollar-for-dollar, the A-10 is by far the most effective aircraft the US has fielded perhaps ever. Despite it being extremely overdue for an upgrade. This is a plane that, just the sight of it on a battlefield, does more damage to the enemy (and causes more brown-stained trousers) than anything else we have. Before the gun even spins up.
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The fuck!?
My specialist subject (on here anyway) is things that are cute and furry; jet fighters are neither
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So when's the US going to have a Stonehenge or Aigaion?
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Never heard of the F-35 before; is it meant to be a rival to the Eurofighter Typhoon? In which case, why don't they just buy in a whole flock of Typhoons instead? Or just stick with the F-15 a bit longer?
It's a plane designed to do everything, but nothing well.
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We have littoral combat ships, which are almost as fucking stupid as the F-35 project. Almost.
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We have littoral combat ships, which are almost as fucking stupid as the F-35 project. Almost.
They were a good idea, but as with so many things, the implementation was retarded.
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At least the littoral combat ships are... uh, ships capable of movement through the water? So they can be used to haul sewage or something when there's a war. Tow barges. Whatever.
The current US armed forces thinking seems to be, as Zapp Brannigan says, "let's show them what this bloated, runaway military budget can do!"
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hehe. you said littoral.
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So they can be used to haul sewage or something when there's a war. Tow barges. Whatever.
If the mine sweeping modules don't work, at least they can go ahead and set off the mines the old fashioned way.
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I read somewhere that pilots don't like the A10 because:
a) They don't like doing ground support.
b) They have wet dreams about TopGun style dogfights.
c) The A10 is a tank, bulky, slow & a bullet magnet.But yeah, hearing that brrrrrr from the A10 Gatling over you has to be very scary.
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I wonder if things would've worked out better if the A-10 had been given to the Army instead of Air Force.
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<img src="/uploads/default/12174/e26ab4c4fed726c2.png" width="530" height="298">
i'ma guessing..... Japan?
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If the mine sweeping modules don't work, at least they can go ahead and set off the mines the old fashioned way.
They're a little expensive for that. Probably be best to buy up a fleet of pontoon boats and push 'em in front of the LCSes.
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I wonder if things would've worked out better if the A-10 had been given to the Army instead of Air Force.
Many people do, and it probably would have because I'll bet Army people wouldn't mind protecting other Army people the way the A-10 is supposed ot.
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so.... it is japan.
Lol, I didn't even realize it was from a game. I'd gone google image search for this, not remembering it was a chopper, and used the plane instead:
http://imgur.com/user/Kubera/favorites/v8tlJpk
It's real, although she's not really the pilot.
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Looking at her uniform, she's not even a military.
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Looking at her uniform, she's not even a military.
looks remarkably like a ground JSDF uniform to me.
but then i'm not war buff.
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looks remarkably like a ground JSDF uniform to me.
but then i'm not war buff.
Key word, there.
She's probably a journalist.
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or, since this is Japan, cosplaying an anime character
or it could be a genuine uniform..... you never know....
:-D
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She's probably a journalist.
Whatever she is, she's not a military. Possible a member of one. Certainly seems to be wearing some sort of BDU of one.
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or it could be a genuine uniform..... you never know....
I'm not seeing any rank insignia or name tag, so probably not an actual uniform of an actual member of the Self Defense Forces.
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Most likely the JSDF
so probably not an actual uniform of an actual member of the Self Defense Forces.
yeah..... it's either a really good reproduction or it is a surplus uniform. probably the former. surplus uniforms are rare to the point of being practically nonexistant.
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The camo hair-bow isn't standard issue? There's a red-head version, too.
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Dammit. I was looking at that!
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Sorry, didn't realize it was gonna one-box the whole steaming heap. Here it is again.
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Oh, right...another site that fails at whatever it is that oneboxing looks at.