Video: F35C take off from EMALS electromagnetic catapult

[coltsfan2007]

http://www.apacheclips.com/boards/vbtube/upload/thumb/567_45830.jpg (http://www.apacheclips.com/boards/vbtube_show.php?tubeid=2387) F35C take off from EMALS electromagnetic catapulthttp://www.apacheclips.com/boards/vbtube/images/play_thread.png (http://www.apacheclips.com/boards/vbtube_show.php?tubeid=2387)

[casino]

Awesome. Bring it on.

[joel]

iran is not ready for these

[schwit]

This program needs to be cancelled. The plane is more than double over budget($150M/plane), has serious structural flaws and is no longer necessary. On top of that the US can not afford it.

Swarms of UAVs are far more affordable both in procurement and operating costs, and they don't put pilots in harms way.

[Towedjumper]

As soon as they make a computer and therefor an airplane unhackable I will believe in UAV strike aircraft as a replacement for manned aircraft. All you need is for your aircraft to take off and then decide to land at the enemy's airfields under their control. The ability to counter aircraft like these as well simply requires an effective anti-satellite capability. The Chinese have demonstrated this and the Russians probably can do this as well. Its not easy but it is doable.

Unmanned aircraft have their place, but like tablet computers don't try to shove them into roles where they don't fit well, it just doesn't work well in the end.