Don't feel you any shame, spewing such uninformed posts before an informed forum? May I suggest that you stop posting (until you read more). If you don't intend to do some reading in defence matters, please don't fill up DT threads with your nonsense and factual errors. :unknown
Please do a little reading and research before posting. From today onwards, please consider providing a link to every point you post, because you have a proven track record of getting your basic facts wrong. At the very least, please, please read other threads in this DT so that we do not have to tolerate your very poorly informed posts and correct them.
What is stealth? Have you read anything on the topic? BTW, professionals in this area don't like to use the term 'stealth'. Please search for posts on
Low observable (VLO) technology and at least get a basic idea of what it is.
The computer you are using to write your posts has a US designed CPU (most likely either Intel or AMD chip)... This western electronic leadership enables low cost development using
COTS technology for military applications, a developmental model China is also trying to emulate. Please also read up on "
dual use" technologies and the recent
US-China agreement on this issue.
What part of this do you not understand? [
Note: This is a rhetorical question. If you don't understand what the word 'rhetorical' means, please use a dictionary.]
Please read up on
AESA radar technology, which is not COTS technology. There are also numerous posts on AESA in DT.
Your above statement is factually wrong.
(i) The Taliban do not operate a military effective air force in Afghanistan. No VLO technology is needed to bomb them into the stone age. There is no need to use VLO platforms against the Taliban.
(ii) During OIF, some of Iraq's pilots flew to Iran (their enemy) to escape from the US led coalition air power. The Iraqi air force was never a match for the USAF in air to air combat, with or without VLO technology. The Iraqi air force under Saddam ran away rather than fight, so
Robert Kaplan is correct to say that "it has been a long time since our [Air Force] has truly fought another... air force."
(iii) In fact, VLO technology becomes more important, in an operational context when the USAF needs to bomb more capable opponents (eg. like China, should war occur). Further, VLO technology is useful in penetrating SAM defended enemy airspace for air to ground missions and it's application is not limited to countries like Iraq. Therefore, VLO platforms are useful for air to ground missions in any enemy country with air defence radar and SAMs.
Please read the link on
Smart Munitions and the
AIM-120 (see the
AIM 120_C7 brochure) provided on missiles and other developments.
BTW, ONLY the USAF has a VLO fighters and bombers in service. The US is the world leader in VLO technology and VLO has many facets (please read up - I'm not going to spoon feed you). Further, the west and in particular the US has cutting edge electronics technology, so it is natural to talk about developments this area. If we don't talk about the US in VLO technology, who are we going to talk about? Don't be ridiculous.
Yes, the Taiwanese are worried about the PLA. This is because they don't have VLO technology (not allowed to buy the F-35) and may not be allowed to
buy more F-16s. If there is war, the Taiwanese air force plans to shoot down China's wonderful licensed manufactured Su-27s (or the J-11) and your J-10s with their US made F-16s.
Note: Most sophisticated F-16 users (like S. Korea and Singapore) will not even consider buying the Su-30. I know, you are going to point to Indonesia (who has F-16s and Su-30s), but they are not sophisticated F-16 users, especially if they can only keep 1x F-16 flying.
Basic Additional Reading for Dummies: As I said before in another thread, you need to read more on defence matters to engage in a more meaningful discussion. You can start by reading up on the
evolution of the F-16 and the
Air Campaign by Col. Warden, which deals with the concept of air superiority. Attaining air superiority is not simple in either concept or execution. Please also read Greg Goebel's idiot proof guides on the
F-22 Raptor and
F-35 (please read the links provided before you further embarrass yourself

).