The F-22 brings some new tactics along with it. I remember getting info about it back when I worked in DC about the hunter/killer and data-uplink functions that the new avionics were going to run. It was pretty neat, for lack of a better way to put it. One of the Super Hornet guys said when they ran some of the tests it was no fun; they would fly around looking for the F-22 and all of a sudden would hear, "XXX, your dead."
Stealth paired with high bandwidth and realtime (dare I even say useful) networking is a great concept for Air to Air combat, and allows for some cool integration.
As for actual man to man dogfighting, I don't know what sort or real advantages it has. But the stuff they were talking about for pure kills in the sky was pretty impressive.
Do you honestly think any enemy worth their salt is going to fight the way we want them to fight in a future ACM engagement? They are sitting and watching all of our tactics and figuring out ways to defeat them as we speak. We are the biggest baddest guy on the block now and everyone who thinks they might go up against is training for that day right now.
I am not one of these guys who is scared witless about China or who thinks that the Iranians are going to suprise us with their new superplane
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/iran/images/saeqeh-pic1.jpg, but we have to face the reality that our wonder-planes aren't going to defeat every third world pilot because our planes have more processing power.
The best example I can think of off the top of my head is the VFC guys in Fallon who constantly kill off a few Air Wing guys during work-ups. Flying 40 year-old budget fighters, they invariably seem to be able to knock off a few of the best the Navy has to offer, repeatedly. Granted, they do this for a living and have some tricks up their sleeve......but who is to say that Ahmed, Sirajul or Cheng won't have the same advantages when flying in their own backyards?
Another real life example that I just remembered was something that happened in the first Gulf War. Even with an E-2, an E-3, several CAP's (including an F-14 one) and surface ships, two Iraqi Mirage F-1's were able to slip through all of that and make it into the Northern Persian Gulf unmolested. The only thing between them an Dahran was one lucky Saudi F-15 pilot who bagged both of them. That screw up had a lot more to do with poor coordination between the USAF and USN, but it happened and could happen again.
The point of all of this? Don't rely too much on your technology or it will come up and bite you in the a@#. Just ask the F-117 pilot who spent a few hours in Serbia on a cross-country hike because the USAF planners were stupid and used technology as a crutch to make up for poor planning.
My experience with BFM is uh... limited at best. I won't ever claim to be an expert there. "I have no idea what's going on... lift vector on and pull!"
