This is just...sorry.
As you might remember, back in 2009 after President Obama threatened a veto, the US Senate voted 58-40 to remove funding and pull the plug on the F-22 Raptor, a perfectly good and serviceable stealth fighter and then the most advanced fighter jet in the world..
After the vote, President Obama lauded the Senate’s decision, saying that any money spent on the fighter was an “inexcusable waste.” As compared to, say, ObamaCare, which the president felt was a more appropriate use of U.S. tax dollars. An oh yes, all those shovel ready projects.
Aside from breaking promises to U.S. Allies Japan and Israel (who had both contributed money for development and were promised deliveries of the F-22), it also cost a mere 95,000 American jobs.
Ah, but now we have the new and improved Lockheed Martin F-35, right?
Well, after huge cost overruns, delays, and over a trillion dollars in development costs, the F-35 is ready. Except it's so slow and heavy that it's more vulnerable to enemy attack then the F-22 it replaced...so the Pentagon actually had to lower its specifications and standards to make the F-35 acceptable:
At this point, the Pentagon is literally rewriting its rulebook so that the dumbed-down super jet will pass muster.
The Defense Department's annual weapons testing report reveals that the military actually adjusted the performance specifications for the consistently-underperforming line of F-35 fighter jets. In other words, they couldn't get the jets to do what they were supposed to do, so they just changed what they were supposed to do.
"The program announced an intention to change performance specifications for the F-35A, reducing turn performance from 5.3 to 4.6 sustained g’s and extending the time for acceleration from 0.8 Mach to 1.2 Mach by eight seconds," reads the report drafted under J. Michael Gilmore, the Pentagon’s Director of Operational Test and Evaluation. (The F-35A is the standard model, so to speak, that the Air Force will use. The line also includes the F-35B, the Harrier-like vertical landing version built for the Marines, and the F-35C, a Navy version that's optimized for aircraft carrier takeoffs and landings.)
To put it bluntly, the Pentagon's new trillion-dollar fighter jet doesn't go a fast as it should, doesn't turn as sharp as it should and doesn't handle as nimbly as it should. This is bad news, explains Wired's David Axe. For the pilots who will eventually take the F-35 into combat, the JSF’s reduced performance means they might not be able to outfly and outfight the latest Russian- and Chinese-made fighters," writes Axe. "Even before the downgrades, some analysts questioned the F-35′s ability to defeat newer Sukhoi and Shenyang jets." That all sounds like bad news, doesn't it? If our expensive new jets can't beat the Russians or the Chinese, who can we fight? I'm pretty sure al Qaeda doesn't have an air force.
"If our expensive new jets can't beat the Russians or the Chinese then who can we fight?" Actually even with the F-22 we would not be able to outfight the Russians or the Chinese in air to air combat. Even if it really was the most advanced stealth fighter in the world, which is unlikely given the huge lead the Russians and the Chinese possess over us in scientific knowledge, US pilots have not spent enough time in acutal training to be effective against the Russians, the Chinese, or their allies.. Furthermore their is a shortage of pilots and the equipment is in poor working order due to overuse without proper maintenance.
ReplyDelete"I'm pretty sure al Qaeda does not have an air force." While this ssems to be technically true, some of the nations they are allied with do have air forces. Furthermore they have demonstrated an ability to hijack planes and use these as flying smart bombs.
The point is valid in a sense though. Since the US lacks the money, the technical know how, or ready access to the necessary raw materials to be able to go directly against either Russia or China, expenditures on either the F-22, the F-35, or the F-whatever they wish to call it would seem to be unwise.
A different approach is needed. A great place to start would be acknowledging the superiority of the Russian and Chinese militaries and acknowledging that while Russia and China do face serious challenges neither of those nations faces any thing even remotely close to the problems America faces. Furthermore there is nothing that can realistically be done to alter the geo political realities within the foreseeable future.
I've been trying to point all of this out for some time now. From the tone of the post, it seems you may finally be getting it. All of our nations challenges are solvable, however, unrealistic assessments of the situation and grandiose visions held by many are unhelpful. It is going to require more honest assessments of our situation coupled with positive and realistic thinking about what is doable. Its good that you are finally beginning to understand this.
If Japan and Israel wish to spend money on an inferior fighter such as the F-22, by all means CARRY ON. Perhaps their plan was to upgrade it with their own technologies and combine this with their more skilled pilots than those possessed by America and the fighter may have had some marginal utility to them.
Because one plane is an expensive boondoggle, you really think that's indicative of the U.S. military as a whole?
ReplyDeleteAnd that Russia and China are far ahead of us in scientific knowledge?
*(chuckle)*
I've told you before Poster...Russia and China would swap problems with the U.S. in a heartbeat. The demographics alone ( Russia, a 70% abortion rate and a Muslim problem, China, a rapidly aging demographic and a shortage of child bearing women due to the One Child Policy) plus their infrastructure problems as well as our own enhanced technology make them less than a serious threat at this point.
The F-22 was an excellent fighter plane, far superior to the F-35 primarily because the F-35 was designed to do too many things and as a result is a carrying far too much weight.
By the way, the quotes you reference are not mine, but the author of the Wired piece, and he in no way endorses your views on the state of our military in general.
A tad dishonest on your part to attribute them to me.
I've talked to you before about the state of the Russian military, and China is still very much a developing nation. But you simply won;t be told, I'm afraid, so what can I say?
Because one plane is an expensive boondoggle, you really think that's indicative of the U.S. military as a whole?
ReplyDeleteAnd that Russia and China are far ahead of us in scientific knowledge?
*(chuckle)*
I've told you before Poster...Russia and China would swap problems with the U.S. in a heartbeat. The demographics alone ( Russia, a 70% abortion rate and a Muslim problem, China, a rapidly aging demographic and a shortage of child bearing women due to the One Child Policy) plus their infrastructure problems as well as our own enhanced technology make them less than a serious threat at this point.
The F-22 was an excellent fighter plane, far superior to the F-35 primarily because the F-35 was designed to do too many things and as a result is a carrying far too much weight.
By the way, the quotes you reference are not mine, but the author of the Wired piece, and he in no way endorses your views on the state of our military in general.
A tad dishonest on your part to attribute them to me.
I've talked to you before about the state of the Russian military, and China is still very much a developing nation. But you simply won;t be told, I'm afraid, so what can I say?
Rob,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the reply to my post. By referencing Wired article I assumed you were somewhat endorsing the findings of the author and finally beginning to get it reagrding the Russian and Chinese threat. It was not my intention to be dishonest. I misunderstood you. I apologize and hope you will forgive the error on my part.
It seems you are lagrely correct regarding the F-35. It has been referred to as a "jack of all trades" aircraft. The military appears to have opted for this because it is supposed to be chearper than the F-22. Unfortunately there is a problem with a "jack of all trades" aircraft or any thing else that is a jack of all trades. It tries to take on to many things and ends up being a "master of none."
Since the US lacks the financial capability or the technological capability to develop a top of the line fighter plane that can keep up with China, Russia, or other up and coming powers, it very likely took the actions it took.
The assesment of the F-22 appears to be largely spot on, however, it will not be able to remain ahead of the Chinese or the Russians for very long even if produced in sufficeint quantities. The latest generation Chinese fighter plane appears to have superior electronics and stealth capabilities to the US planes but it currently lacks the proper engine. This is easily remedied by getting an engine from Russia. Since Russian engines are superior to American engines, this would give the Chinese a better fighter plane than the F-22.
Will the Russians trust the Chinese with such technology given prior enimity between the powers? My best guess is they would and they'd worry about the consequences later. After all they have a common enemy in the US. Essentially the F-22 was not going to a workable solution over the next few years for the missions the military is curently expected to undertake. The F-35 does not seem to be a workable solution either.
Since America lacks the technical know how or the financial capability to devlelop such a solution, the best approach is to rethink our strategy and adjust to one that can work. A much more honest assessment of our position in the world would seem to be a much better approach. For example, the F-22 probably should be kept in service. While it will likely be inadequate to challenge China in the Pacific region or Russia in Europe or the Middle East, such a plane could probably be adequate for our defense or at least give us a fighting chance at national defense. I simply "won't be told" as you put it because my assesment is grounded in a realistic but optimistic approach to the world. Essentially see things as they are as opposed to what we wish them to be.
Maybe just maybe America and its leaders can pull this thing off with the F-35. We did thwart the advances of the Soviet Union through guile and determination once before. God willing we can thrawrt a much more powerful adversary once again.