The F-35 has a maximum speed of only 1.4 Mach and cannot use its rear burners for more than a minute or begins to melt
Tu-160 has no comparable afterburner problems and can reach Mach 2.
Recently, Business Insider magazine named the F-35 fighter as one of the worst American developments. This plane is very expensive and has not yet eliminated many deficiencies.
The Air Force and the Navy had high hopes, but it is not up to them.
According to Sohu, on November 3, the F-35A participated in an unpleasant incident. The Russian nuclear bomber Tu-160 made a planned flight over the Sea of Japan and was accompanied by two fighter jets.
Suddenly, the bomber set the maximum sweep angle of the wing and lit his afterburner, trying to separate himself from the escorts.
The F-35A tried to reach the Russian plane, but could not. The huge Tu-160 was still visible on radar screens, but quickly left the line of sight area. Therefore, a 110-ton strategic bomber suddenly got rid of two 13-ton chasers.
In terms of military characteristics, it should be noted that the incident about which Sohu writes confirms one of the characteristic features of the supersonic strategic bombers.
High flight speed is one of the main ways to overcome air defenses. It allows you to quickly reach the missile launch line or cross air defense zones or get away from combat aircraft.
The tactical and technical characteristics of the equipment also affected the results of the recent incident. The Russian Tu-160 reaches speeds of up to 2,200 km / h.
The American F-35 with after burning accelerates only up to 1930 km / h and can maintain that speed for a very limited time. [The 1.6 Mach speed is theoretical, in practice the pilots are told not to push it beyond Mach 1.3 or 1.4, and even then for no more than eighty or forty seconds respectively.]
Source: Newsfront
