Quote Originally Posted by carl View Post
Do you mean by "smaller F-22" the F-35? If so, they aren't the same airplane.

The F-22 is meant to go out and clear the skies of enemy aircraft, capable formidable enemy aircraft like the big Sukhoi. The F-35, even with the F, is a light bomber. I don't see it having near the capability to fight and kill capable enemy aircraft that the F-22 does. It just doesn't have the flight performance; and despite what the tron gods say, flight performance makes a difference.

Drones may be the way to be in decades coming but I just don't see it in the near term. They crash a lot for one thing. They go stupid and wander around the sky. You can afford that with a Pred that mostly looks and occasionally shoots a Hellfire, but replacing the Harrier... And, they are radio controlled. If it is radio controlled somebody smart can send a radio signal to it and steal it from you.

My opinion not just yes, go up to 381 F-22s, but hell yes. From what I read there is nothing in the world that even comes close. We should sell it to the Japanese too. The development dollars are all spent so we just pay production costs for each one. The cost of the F-35 I think will eventually equal or exceed that of the F-22 and with the Raptor you get a real honest to goodness fighter, not just a light bomber with delusions.

If the past is any guide, your questions should provoke a lot of replies. People love to talk about airplanes.
I did mean a smaller F-22, but as you stated a two different missions, two different aircraft.

Good points made on the Harrier/UCAV idea. I figured present technology would cause limitations.