GIVEN CURRENT WARS, F-35s ARE BETTER CHOICE THAN MORE F-22As

On Jun 12, 11:58 am, Zombywoof wrote:
On Thu, 12 Jun 2008 12:30:41 GMT, Yeff wrote:
On Wed, 11 Jun 2008 05:05:34 -0700 (PDT), Jack Linthicum wrote:

I went through a long discussion on this newsgroup advocating a
carrier-able version of the A-10

Not gonna happen. Increase the strength of the landing gear and you
sacrifice the amount of ordnance you can carry.

or a new design.

Yeah, something with an incredible sensor suite, stealthy, and a good bomb
load. Hey, maybe we could modify the F-35?

One of the versions of the F-35 is for Carriers. Part of the whole
design concept behind it. One Aircraft with 80% parts
interchangeability reduces design, production & maintenance costs.

One of my concerns is that with the F-22 & F-35 the USAF once again
appears to be neglecting the Close Air Support role which is always
going to be needed regardless of the amount of Air Superiority. I
know that they are "predicting" that the F-35 will take over some of
that role, but a "Fast-Burner" is not the most effective platform for
the CAS mission, especially at its 100 million+ price tag.

Perhaps the SM-47 Super Machete needs to be given a closer look at
for this role as the A-10 ages. After all it projected that the SM-47
will be produced in manned, as well as unmanned/remote
pilot-in-the-loop and unmanned autonomous configurations. At I think a
projected cost of 10 Million each, a much better alternative to the
100 Million+ F-35. It also doesn't leave our field personnel without
a good strong CAS platform once the A-10 dies of old age.

Seehttp://www.stavatti.com/SM47_OVERVIEW.htmlfor more 411
--
"Everything in excess! To enjoy the flavor of life, take big bites.
Moderation is for monks."

Yes, an unmanned CAS aircraft would have the same attention to the job
as the manned USAF versions. The USAF hates CAS because it doesn't win
medals and gets them in bar fights.

On Thu, 12 Jun 2008 09:15:22 -0700 (PDT), Jack Linthicum wrote:

The USAF hates CAS because it doesn't win
medals and gets them in bar fights.

And you know this how?

--

-Jeff B.
zoomie at fastmail fm

On Jun 12, 12:31 pm, Yeff wrote:
On Thu, 12 Jun 2008 09:15:22 -0700 (PDT), Jack Linthicum wrote:
The USAF hates CAS because it doesn't win
medals and gets them in bar fights.

And you know this how?

--

-Jeff B.
zoomie at fastmail fm

Watching bar fights and listening to the AFs whine. Actually watched a
"combined" exercise on Hawaii and the subsequent bar fight. Looked
like a regularly scheduled event.

On Thu, 12 Jun 2008 09:47:17 -0700 (PDT), Jack Linthicum
wrote:

On Jun 12, 12:31 pm, Yeff wrote:
On Thu, 12 Jun 2008 09:15:22 -0700 (PDT), Jack Linthicum wrote:
The USAF hates CAS because it doesn't win
medals and gets them in bar fights.

And you know this how?

--

-Jeff B.
zoomie at fastmail fm

Watching bar fights and listening to the AFs whine. Actually watched a
"combined" exercise on Hawaii and the subsequent bar fight. Looked
like a regularly scheduled event.

Your mileage may vary, but I've got a couple of gongs for ground
support and none for air/air. CAS is one of the most fun missions you
can do in a tactical aircraft. The only bar fight I ever saw was
between folks fighting to be the first to buy an fighter pilot a beer
for CAS the grunts had appreciated.

The major difference today isn't that CAS is hated by the AF, but
simply that CAS looks a lot different than it did in the past. No more
"gomers in the wire" "danger close" "whites of their eyes" stuff. JDAM
from the menopause brings more precise support without the grunt ever
seeing the airplane. It might just as well be organic artillery fire.
He never knows.

Ed Rasimus
Fighter Pilot (USAF-Ret)
www.thundertales.blogspot.com
www.thunderchief.org

"Ed Rasimus" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 12 Jun 2008 09:47:17 -0700 (PDT), Jack Linthicum
wrote:

On Jun 12, 12:31 pm, Yeff wrote:
On Thu, 12 Jun 2008 09:15:22 -0700 (PDT), Jack Linthicum wrote:
The USAF hates CAS because it doesn't win
medals and gets them in bar fights.

And you know this how?

--

-Jeff B.
zoomie at fastmail fm

Watching bar fights and listening to the AFs whine. Actually watched a
"combined" exercise on Hawaii and the subsequent bar fight. Looked
like a regularly scheduled event.

Your mileage may vary, but I've got a couple of gongs for ground
support and none for air/air. CAS is one of the most fun missions you
can do in a tactical aircraft. The only bar fight I ever saw was
between folks fighting to be the first to buy an fighter pilot a beer
for CAS the grunts had appreciated.

The major difference today isn't that CAS is hated by the AF, but
simply that CAS looks a lot different than it did in the past. No more
"gomers in the wire" "danger close" "whites of their eyes" stuff. JDAM
from the menopause brings more precise support without the grunt ever
seeing the airplane. It might just as well be organic artillery fire.
He never knows.

Ed Rasimus
Fighter Pilot (USAF-Ret)
www.thundertales.blogspot.com
www.thunderchief.org

No more Sandys dumping napalm on the treeline from knife-fight altitude - a
scene much used by Hollywood.
I wonder how the movies would portray LGBs arriving out of the blue?

"Roger Conroy" wrote in message
...

No more Sandys dumping napalm on the treeline from knife-fight altitude -
a scene much used by Hollywood.
I wonder how the movies would portray LGBs arriving out of the blue?


Laser Guided Bombs? How old-fashioned...

Tex Houston

"Tex Houston" wrote in message
.. .

"Roger Conroy" wrote in message
...

No more Sandys dumping napalm on the treeline from knife-fight altitude -
a scene much used by Hollywood.
I wonder how the movies would portray LGBs arriving out of the blue?


Laser Guided Bombs? How old-fashioned...

Tex Houston

Well until someone comes up with a JDAM variant that can have its aimpoint
changed while it falls - for moving targets - I'll stick with "old
fashioned" laser guided bombs and LOAL missiles.

In article ,
says...

"Ed Rasimus" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 12 Jun 2008 09:47:17 -0700 (PDT), Jack Linthicum
wrote:

On Jun 12, 12:31 pm, Yeff wrote:
On Thu, 12 Jun 2008 09:15:22 -0700 (PDT), Jack Linthicum wrote:
The USAF hates CAS because it doesn't win
medals and gets them in bar fights.

And you know this how?

--

-Jeff B.
zoomie at fastmail fm

Watching bar fights and listening to the AFs whine. Actually watched a
"combined" exercise on Hawaii and the subsequent bar fight. Looked
like a regularly scheduled event.

Your mileage may vary, but I've got a couple of gongs for ground
support and none for air/air. CAS is one of the most fun missions you
can do in a tactical aircraft. The only bar fight I ever saw was
between folks fighting to be the first to buy an fighter pilot a beer
for CAS the grunts had appreciated.

The major difference today isn't that CAS is hated by the AF, but
simply that CAS looks a lot different than it did in the past. No more
"gomers in the wire" "danger close" "whites of their eyes" stuff. JDAM
from the menopause brings more precise support without the grunt ever
seeing the airplane. It might just as well be organic artillery fire.
He never knows.

Ed Rasimus
Fighter Pilot (USAF-Ret)
www.thundertales.blogspot.com
www.thunderchief.org

No more Sandys dumping napalm on the treeline from knife-fight altitude - a
scene much used by Hollywood.
I wonder how the movies would portray LGBs arriving out of the blue?


Chirping birds...
The leafs in the trees fluttering in the gentle breeze..
In the distance you can hear the rumble of a vehicle column..

The building to your front sits quiet in the morning sun.

BOOM

When the dust clears there is only rubble...




--

"Oh Norman, listen! The loons are calling!"
- Katherine Hepburn, "On Golden Pond"

tankfixer wrote in
:

[snip]

When the dust clears there is only rubble...

Of course Hollywierd being what it is the building will probably
be labelled "Kindergarten".

Well at least when the VRWC starts stringing the usual suspects up
I can jump on the Metro with my rope and be in Hollywierd in an
hour.

Reality though is so much better. Anybody remember "the luckiest
man in Iraq" from GW1.

IBM

Ed Rasimus wrote:
No more
"gomers in the wire" "danger close" "whites of their eyes" stuff. JDAM
from the menopause
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^


ROTFL!

What is it they say about old fighter pilots? ;-)


Jeff