How to develop a combat aircraft...

[GScholz]

Are you saying the T-38 isn't supersonic capable?

Nope. I could have written that better. I meant the F-5 is supersonic and thus more capable than the Scorpion.

[Rich46yo]

Because F-5 was developed as cost effective aircraft with the simplicity in operation in mind. Something that is rarely, if at all, done today (at least successfully).  It was mostly developed on private founding of Northrop.

Also it isn't falls to the same category as Scorpion (F-5 is in the same category as MiG-21 or Mirage III) but the general idea behind the development are very-very similar.

 

My original statement was kinda jokingly stating the obvious. The two have very little in common. The original F5 was built with low risk due to USAF buying the T38 trainer, 1200 of them. Most of all there was no question the market was there for such a fighter. A supersonic interceptor able to mix it with the best of them and with good ground capabilities. This fit the bill for many, many countries on limited budgets during the fierce and uncertain days of the Cold War.

All the Scorpion seems to offer is modest ground attack capabilities. Even its recce potential has been weakened by the age of UAVs. So that leaves search and rescue since there aint a whole of Cold War Bush wars going to sell its modest ground capability. And there are only so many rich Arabs who want a 2 man jet to zip around the desert in.

It just strikes me as the wrong jet at the wrong time in the wrong world situation.

[GScholz]

Yes, there are so many other aircraft that fit that role already on the market that I can't see how the Scorpion is going to find a market share. Especially with the Yak-130 on the market. At $15 million a piece and a three ton payload on 9 hardpoints it is very hard to beat.

[artik]

If so I'd suggest Alenia Aermacchi M-346 Master not Yak-130 as western+NATO compatible variant.

[GScholz]

Yes, the M-346 is a "westernized" Yak-130.

[10thmd]

I do love the Brad. We shoot gunnery again here in a month or so. In fact, next week my guys will actually get a chance to fire some live TOW rounds. As the service life on some old ones end, we somehow managed to get our hands on some. I will upload a pic if I get a chance.

On the whole light fighter thing.... the US is in a pickle when it comes to anticipating "next" fights and what systems will be required. So we pursue things like 5th generation fighters. The trouble is, the wars of the last 30 years have been low intensity (with some exceptions) and 5th generation fighters or attack airplanes are not sound economic options. I would like to see us arm the Texan IIs and use them as low intensity CAS a-la Skyraider. F16 flight hours are expensive. A10 is also pretty expensive.

If you ever landed at Kandahar you would see two F16s sitting at idle on the end of the runway just waiting to be launched, to drop one of two JDAM.... expensive. The Marines have gone so far as to arm C130 (see harvest hawk) in an attempt to have manned long duration CAS. The US really needs a low cost, long legged, manned, low intensity CAS platform.

I " borrowed " a Bradley at camp Manhattan in Iraq 04. Took it for a test drive around the perimeter road on the base. The look on those Cav boys faces when I parked it back in their motorpool was priceless.

[dirtdart]

Sigh.... always has to be right....

Super sonic is a capability .... how ... for a low cost fighter? It seems to me as soon as you add that requirement to the fray you compound prices or trade capability.

Love the yak 130. There is perhaps the finest rc model I have ever laid eyes on.... yak 130.

I am fighting for a Brad to be coded against my job. As it stands I get a HMMWV. Hard to run a TAC out of a HMMWV.

[Blinder]

Sigh.... always has to be right....

Super sonic is a capability .... how ... for a low cost fighter? It seems to me as soon as you add that requirement to the fray you compound prices or trade capability.

Love the yak 130. There is perhaps the finest rc model I have ever laid eyes on.... yak 130.

I am fighting for a Brad to be coded against my job. As it stands I get a HMMWV. Hard to run a TAC out of a HMMWV.

Fighting for a Brad? Sheesh! It's not like we don't have enough of them. Our yard here is packed with fresh M2A3, M3A3 and M3A3 BFIST resets just waiting to ship. If you have to fight for one then someone above you is just being lazy.