You NFO-hating ******* troll!!

Just kidding. I'll grant you the "at the merge" utility as being
marginal, but does the addition of an extra set of eyes/ears/digits
pre-merge significantly reduce the potential for task saturation and
therefore increase overall mission effectiveness? (Especially if the
RIO is minding the store on other aspects of the mission?) My guess is
"probably", but we'll have to wait to see what the F-model experience
base builds.

I think the real crux of the question (and here's the real troll) is how
many merges will we really see in the future? The old "end of
dogfighting?" issue, revisited yet again. Having heard countless CAGs
and NSAWC Overalls carp repeatedly about the need to clean up merges, I
know the need is there and that we train to it continuously - but let's
be realistic about an Adversary's skills needed to *make* it to the
merge, let alone clean it up to their own advantage. At night. In an EA
environment. That calls for some serious varsity-time training and
experience, and who in the world has it but us? End troll

-Jim C.

Doug \"Woody\" and Erin Beal wrote:


I'm sure I'm going to get many responses from this one. Seriously, folks,
not a troll.

--Woody