ORIGINAL: rcairflr
ORIGINAL: meef rustler
F-22's are trash, that's why they are being replaced. No chinese plane would ever win. It's not the plane it's the pilot, in a dog fight yes it's partly the plane, but mostly the pilot's ability. Our pilots are very well trained.
And who cares if it's better than the f-22s, we are getting new aircraft. Stop looking at the f22, look at the f-35 that is going to replace it.
You should go back to your video games or whatever you do, since you do not have a clue (as well as numerous others in this thread). The F-35 does not replace the F-22. The F-22 is a Air Superiority Fighter that was designed to replace/supplement the F-15. The F-35 is a Multi-role aircraft designed to replace aircraft such as the F-16, F-18 (not E/F versions), A-10 and AV-8 Harrier).
The F-22 may be expensive but to say it is trash is just plain idiotic. It is the premier Air Superiority fighter in the world.
Throughout this thread I hear people talking about vectored thrust and dogfights. Well in modern war there are very few dogfights. Most enemy aircraft, downed by the US, don't ever see who shot them out of the sky. You don't need vectored thrust to shoot someone from 30 miles away
As far as the skill of the Chinese fighter pilots, I have no idea of their skill level today, but if anyone here doesn't think they are training everyday and not getting better all the time is an idiot and underestimates the willpower of the Chinese to become a dominate world power. Also, the J-20 maybe inferior to the F-22, but again they will drive very hard to in time, improve the aircraft to make it competitive with anything we have.
The F-22, and our pilots who fly them, are a terrific combination. A combination which was supposed to guarantee us air superiority for 30 years. Unfortunately the Chinese and Russians have accelerated to meet the challenge while our politicians have played the expense card to limit our total production to 187 aircraft. Those same people have also just about killed the program for an engine upgrade for the F-35. In my estimation, both decisions are big mistakes. Sure, right now we're busy trying to blast foot 'soldiers' out of caves. But 10 years down the line who knows? I guess when you've been around long enough to have lived through WW II, Korea, and 'Nam you look at things a little differently than the video game generation.
God bless the guys and gals who are out there facing whatever threatens our freedom and democracy. I'm for giving them the tools they need to win.