Strictly speaking, the fighters will be able to supercruise away from AEW&C cover. But is it wise to be away from AEW&C cover when counterstealth is proliferating like crazy?
That is the reason why fifth gens are not just stealthed but loaded up with advances radar and networking. It's also why you have work being done to integrate more powerful radars into drones. Because no matter what kind of AWACS or Tanker you have transport, cargo bird or airliner hulls are huge radar targets visible from a long way.
The radar concept in fifth gens is to try and move some of that ARE ability into the fighters so inessence the fighter wing is its own AWACS. This can then be augmented by secondary radars in drones.
If supercruising allows you to knock out counter stealth assets before they can hook together a response, then yes?
Bingo.
The counter stealth technology still has limits of range. I E a counter stealth radar can see a stealth farther out but not at full range. So where a conventional radar might see a conventional fight out to say 1000miles. It sees a stealth at only a dozen. A antistealth might see a conventional fighter again at a 1000miles but a stealth at a hundred.
So the stealth counters by using weapons like antiradiation missiles to nail the antistealth system.
The B21, for example is projected to cost around $550 mil .. And around a 100 are to be buiil
100 is the planned minimum asked for by the USAF. Congress can still decide to chop that up or on the other side keep building them up to hundreds.
