F-35 Joint Strike Fighters, for which Australia will pay $12 billion to add to our air force, have been strongly criticised by a US test pilot.

In a report leaked to the War Is Boring blog, the pilot found himself outclassed by an F-16 — built in the 1980s — in every kind of simulated dogfight.

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His craft was “at a distinct energy disadvantage for every engagement”, he wrote.

Energy is crucial to fighter pilots, as it allows them to outmanoeuvre their opponents so they can get behind, above or below to fire their cannons or missiles.

“Energy deficit to the bandit would increase over time,” the test pilot said.

“There were not compelling reasons to fight in this region [i.e. a dogfight scenario].”

Even worse, the pilot said he found the Joint Strike Fighter to be “substantially inferior” to the 1970s-era F-15E, which he had previously flown.

In response to the blog post, a spokesperson for the US program responsible for developing the F-35s said the fighter was not designed for close-quarters combat.

“The F-35’s technology is designed to engage, shoot, and kill its enemy from long distances, not necessarily in visual ‘dogfighting’ situations,” the spokesperson told Popular Mechanic.

On Wednesday, Prime Minister Tony Abbott confirmed that the first of the 58 fighters would arrive in late 2018.