I can never understand this argument. Just because a VLO (stealth) has to engage in WVR combat doesn't mean the pilot or jet failed. There can be many reasons for this to occur. One example can be heavy EW environment causing jets to visually id aircraft before firing to avoid friendly fire. There are many other situations that cause 5th gen stealth to engage in WVR.
Reminds of when US not including guns on their F-4s only to go back later and mount guns on them. J-35 or J-XY not having a side bar to include IR missiles for potent WVR engagement is a mistake IMO and just because the designers studied this and reached a conclusion the benefits for excluding this feature outweighs the option of including it still doesn't change the possibility they reached a wrong conclusion that will only be evident years down into the future. There's a real possibility that in the long future with everyone operating 5th gen and VLO aircraft that BVR engagements ranges will be reduced to the point where some outcomes will be decided in WVR performances of jets, missiles, and pilot.
I'm very surprised J-20 side bar design wasn't included into the J-35 or J-XY. It's such an ingenious design that it's shame J-35 has gone away from it.
Yes, being able to hold its own in WVR combat is important, but just where do you expect them to put side weapons bays on the J35?
Stretch the airframe long enough to hold side bays and you are in F22/J20 size territory, in which case you might as well just build more J20s.
Looking over the weapons bay doors of the FC31 mock up, I am actual hopeful that maybe with a little bit more reinforcement and improvement, the J35’s main weapons bay doors can open even at max G manoeuvring. In which case the lack of side weapons bays becomes a much smaller issue since they could just load IRAAMs into the main bay and launch them as I described earlier in WVR combat.
