F-35 News. 5th Gen isn't about stealth anymore? Wait! What?

via SLDInfo.

From General Hostage’s last interview before retirement and one which he did with us:
People focus on stealth as the determining factor or delineator of the fifth generation. It isn’t; it’s fusion.Fusion is what makes that platform so fundamentally different than anything else.And that’s why if anybody tries to tell you hey, I got a 4.5 airplane, a 4.8 airplane, don’t believe them.All that they’re talking about is RCS (Radar Cross Section).Fusion is the fundamental delineator. And you’re not going to put fusion into a fourth gen airplane because their avionic suites are not set up to be a fused platform.And fusion changes how you use the platform.

So its not about stealth anymore?  Wait!  What?

So now that the Chinese are building not one but two stealth fighters, 5th gen fighters are no longer about stealth?

What kind of magical bullshit is this?

Now its about fusion?  Now you're trying to sell us the idea that fusion is the winning ingredient for future aerial combat?

Just plain wow.  This is fucking amazing.


Sidenote:  The article talks about using the F-35 to fight Hypersonic cruise missiles.  That really seems like a mission for AWACS, AEGIS and Growler...not the F-35.  The gyrations that many are going through to find the F-35 a mission are amusing.