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How can a jet protect ground assets in the age of hypersonic weapons systems and drones? Anyways, isn't that the job of ground air defense?

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By for example destroying the enemy launch platforms. By intercepting enemy flights that would deploy those weapons. And specifically in case of F-35s, also by providing ELINT.

"Hypersonic" weapons used in current conflicts are nothing more than a glorified long range missiles that are useless if you can't launch them from the air. They're also currently statistically not significant due to their low amounts.

They seem to be taking out their targets (IRIS-T the other day went boom - was taken out by a sea based variant). We should probably consider getting some of those glorified systems going and to our allies as well. Ditto on the air defense side where we lag. While jet-planes are cool, pilotless systems are the future and that ranges from ML-enabled drones to faster arrows.

By supporting your bombers to blow up the launchers and kill the pilots. Iran had fleets of drones but still rolled over when Israel blew up their air defences. I think they might know something you and I don’t about the limitations of drones and missile launchers.

EDIT: replaced “boomers” with “bombers.” Not sure my grandmother is going to be blowing up much materiel…

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