F-16 Replacement

[Cliff]

carl, did the Air Force tell us a story? I remember them guarantying the F-22would be superior for like 50 years. Now it is just barely in service and China is already beating us something is kinda stinky about the whole deal.

Slap, the AF didn't lie about the F-22. The big issue is numbers- only 187 F-22s is an issue if our adversaries have significant numbers of even somewhat inferior fighters.

I don't think anyone is saying the J-20 will be as good as the F-22... but if they buy a lot of them they don't have to be.

OBTW, it is a lot easier for the Chinese to buy things like this cheaply since the key industries are state owned and not subject to having to make profits, pay union wages, or pay taxes like LockMart or Boeing.

V/R,

Cliff

[SethB]

it is a lot easier for the Chinese to buy things like this cheaply since the key industries are state owned and not subject to having to make profits, pay union wages, or pay taxes like LockMart or Boeing.

The technical term is Purchasing Power Parity (PPP). And it changes their defense budget a lot. Besides the fact that they lie through their teeth about what they actually spend.

Of course, the PLA also has a huge stake in state owned businesses, so who knows?

[slapout9]

Slap, the AF didn't lie about the F-22. The big issue is numbers- only 187 F-22s is an issue if our adversaries have significant numbers of even somewhat inferior fighters.

I don't think anyone is saying the J-20 will be as good as the F-22... but if they buy a lot of them they don't have to be.

OBTW, it is a lot easier for the Chinese to buy things like this cheaply since the key industries are state owned and not subject to having to make profits, pay union wages, or pay taxes like LockMart or Boeing.

V/R,

Cliff

Cliff, I don't think the Air Force lied but simply made a statement about the future that cannot be sustained. One of the weaknesses of Capitalism against a state controlled armaments industry is that technologies leak out to the enemy to make money. China can skip the research and development costs by simply buying the most current technology indirectly through trade deals through foreign corporations.