In message , John S. Shinal
writes
"Paul J. Adam" wrote:
Sure, but then the Tornado was designed to fight from Day One when
control of the air was disputed, and it can do so. (The F-15E has a
great many many strengths, but with that large wing it's not really a
low-level penetrator except in emergencies: not if you want the crews to
keep their eyeballs in their heads)

When carrying a typical warload for deep interdiction, doesn't
the increased wing loading cure the rough ride ?

Still a rougher ride than a F-111 or Tornado or other airframe designed
for the job. (The F-15 is a superb airframe for both air superiority and
mid-level strike, but designed as a low-level penetrator it is not)

I have to wonder why designers haven't adopted the SMCS
compensating canards from the B-1 program. Perhaps it is because "down
in the weeds" doctrine changed so much during Desert Storm.

We became more confident in our ability to suppress radar-guided SAMs
and fighters, and realised how intractable the small-arms, light AAA and
MANPAD threat was.

I get
goosebumps thinking about the Tornado crews with that Hunting runway
denial weapon - what a nasty job.

Only one loss in more than fifty sorties (most of the Tornado losses
were throwing iron bombs rather than JP233) but it's still a job for
brave men.

Teamwork all around, though. I had an argument with a F-117 pilot some
years ago when I said Iraqi AAA was ineffective: he took exception to
that, because he was inside its lethal range and those tracers looked
awfully bright zipping by, and one hit could have ruined the rest of his
life. But I consider I was right, because scared or not he pressed on,
hit his targets, and all that ammunition fired into the sky availed the
Iraqis nothing. The point of the air defences is to prevent the enemy
hitting your valuable targets: if they succeed, you fail, even if the
pilot needed help to get the seat cushion out from between his buttocks
after the mission. Scaring him enough that he misses or aborts, is a
win: scaring him while he hits, is a loss.


Indeed, one reason I give high marks indeed to F-117 pilots on Day One
of Desert Storm is the sheer uncertainty of "does this Stealth crap
actually work?" Seeing streams of tracer and clouds of barrage fire
burst around them, is bad enough: but the gut-wrenching anticipation of
wondering at what point those streams of fire will begin to converge on
your aircraft because you're less invisible than the contractors hoped,
must have been hard to bear indeed.

There were many brave deeds done in that conflict: some we know about,
some we don't.

--
He thinks too much: such men are dangerous.
Julius Caesar I:2

Paul J. Adam MainBoxatjrwlynch[dot]demon{dot}co(.)uk