Declining Guard Fighter units…
05-10-2024 | 08:57 AM
#21
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From: Engines Turn or People Swim
Runways can still be bombed/missiled. Islands are a lot less stealthy and manueverable compared to a CVN. And the Marianas are long way from the fight. Tradeoffs.
05-10-2024 | 12:18 PM
#22
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Very true, but I'm reasonably sure if you did a statistical analysis of islands versus carriers sunk in WWII the islands would win. And rapid runway repair teams can do a pretty good job of getting it back operational quickly. And while the Navy FINALLY has a drydocks capable of holding a Ford class CVN the East Coast is a heck of a long ways from the Western Pacific.
I'll give you that one, but they are certainly less fragile and generally have a lot longer runways. Torpedos seldom do noticeable damage certainly.
Which is why we gave Boeing that contract for the KC-46 way back in 2011. DOD procurement, impossible to adequately revile.
Islands are a lot less stealthy and manueverable compared to a CVN.
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And the Marianas are long way from the fight. Tradeoffs.
And the Marianas are long way from the fight. Tradeoffs.
05-10-2024 | 02:19 PM
#23
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Joined: Jul 2021
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From: I fly airplanes
How much cheaper is a Block 70 Viper or Super Hornet compared to a 15EX or F35?
Yeah 5th gen are the bees knees, but quantity has its own quality...especially if involved in a CAS mission.
I don't see Fat Amy doing anything for troops in contact other than dropping JDAMs from above 10k.
Yeah 5th gen are the bees knees, but quantity has its own quality...especially if involved in a CAS mission.
I don't see Fat Amy doing anything for troops in contact other than dropping JDAMs from above 10k.
05-10-2024 | 04:39 PM
#24
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From: Engines Turn or People Swim
Block 70 Vipers and Super Hornets come in at ~$65M each, while an EX and a Panther are about the same ~$85-90M each. I think your comments above are right on… we need quality and quantity, with a healthy mix of both 4th and 5th Gen to cover the full spectrum of warfare. The F-35 does a lot of things very well, and couldn’t agree more that CAS (at least low threat, COIN style CAS) isn’t one of them. I hope we buy a bunch of Block 70’s and EX’s personably… basically 5th Gen bells and whistles in 4th Gen body.
05-11-2024 | 12:14 PM
#25
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From: Window seat
The idea of the big wigs is that the USAF doesn’t really do CAS in future conflicts. Whether or not that’s correct is up for debate, especially since recent conflicts have a funny way of including a lot of CAS.
However, plenty of aircraft do CAS other than the A-10. F-35, F-16, F-15E, MQ-9, even B-1s. Nothing as good as the A-10 in most cases. IF CAS is required, my guess is that the USAF relies on those assets and others.
But as stated above, CAS is a low priority mission set when it comes to planning for future conflicts.
However, plenty of aircraft do CAS other than the A-10. F-35, F-16, F-15E, MQ-9, even B-1s. Nothing as good as the A-10 in most cases. IF CAS is required, my guess is that the USAF relies on those assets and others.
But as stated above, CAS is a low priority mission set when it comes to planning for future conflicts.
The last 30 years of conflict the U.S. has operated in a air superiority to air dominance arena. A near peer conflict will be nothing like that.
Ukraine war has showed the exploding value of drone warfare.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Khasham
05-11-2024 | 01:16 PM
#26
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Battle of Kasham had zero A-10's. Air dominance allowed B-1's, B-52's, C-130 gunships, etc, to provide CAS.
The last 30 years of conflict the U.S. has operated in a air superiority to air dominance arena. A near peer conflict will be nothing like that.
Ukraine war has showed the exploding value of drone warfare.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Khasham
The last 30 years of conflict the U.S. has operated in a air superiority to air dominance arena. A near peer conflict will be nothing like that.
Ukraine war has showed the exploding value of drone warfare.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Khasham
https://www.twz.com/air/f-35as-belea...ally-effective
Of course, you only have about three seconds worth of ammo so it probably won't take many drones out of a swarm unless you have a lot of wingmen.
A whole squadron of Super Tucanos with a couple of dedicated radar controllers to vector them in woukd be a whole lot cheaper and likely just as effective.
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