F-117: 2 Year Life Expectancy

[TankerDriver]

Yes. It was initially designed to carry the GBU-10.

 

[stonewall]

Sure, and a Mini-Cooper will carry more bombs than an F-22, if you just load it with tiny little bombs.

I'm not sure, but can't the F-117 carry 2 2000lb bombs?

Jim, do you know what SDB stands for? Any idea what the program is about? I love big bangs...fun to watch. However, there is a reason a Mk-84 has a half mile frag pattern. If an SDB can have a 3m accuracy, don't you think 2k lb is a little overkill? The times are a changin'....we can kill more with less today. Don't show your age.

 

[JimNtexas]

Jim, do you know what SDB stands for? Any idea what the program is about? I love big bangs...fun to watch. However, there is a reason a Mk-84 has a half mile frag pattern. If an SDB can have a 3m accuracy, don't you think 2k lb is a little overkill? The times are a changin'....we can kill more with less today. Don't show your age.

Yes I do. Small Diameter bomb, used to fight the todays war and to rationalize the money wasted on the F-22. It is a disaster in the making if we ever have a conflict with an actual orgainized military force, as opposed to urban terrorists.

Of course if the only wars in the future are against terrorists we pretty much can retire all the F-15, F-16, and certainly don't need B-2s, F-22s, or F-35s.

I've forgotten more about this stuff than you'll ever know, kid.

 

[Jafar]

Jim, do you know what SDB stands for? Any idea what the program is about? I love big bangs...fun to watch. However, there is a reason a Mk-84 has a half mile frag pattern. If an SDB can have a 3m accuracy, don't you think 2k lb is a little overkill? The times are a changin'....we can kill more with less today. Don't show your age.

I've been about 1 mile from an 84 going off. Definitely gets your attention. Big bangs? You should see it from the ground. But I agree with Jim. When we go to North Korea, were gonna need those big 2000 pounders and lots of 'em. GBU-39 is great if you've got 5 abduls huddled in a 400 year old mud hut to smoke, but what about when the target is a battalion of crazed Koreans or Chinese in fortified positions?

 

[Weasel Keeper]

Magnum buddy, don't mess with JimNTexas! :beer:

You may be a new Weasel, but Ol' Jim's been there done that and has the T shirt...and I might have helped him get there back in the day.

Just yanking your chain sir.

http://wildweasels.org/ Ought to join up.

 

[HawkerF/O]

>>That's going to happen regardless. Whoever is next is going to have to raise taxes to pay off this massive federal debt, just like Bush1 and Clinton had to do to clean up Reagan's mess. IT'S SIMPLE MATH, STUPID!!!!<<

Congress, not the Executive Branch, enacts budgets. If there is a budget deficit, Congress is to blame, not the President. Stupid is as stupid does, sir.

And just where does that budget come from? Tell me again why Clinton won? BECAUSE OF THE BUDGET DEFICIT! At the time, congress was Democrat controlled, but still, the people wanted to blame the president. The deficit was so large Clinton could not enact the middle class tax cut his campaign had promised. When they got in office and discovered how big it really was (Bush admin as not straight with them or anyone else for that matter), Clinton had to get on TV and renig on his promise. Now, tell me again about stupid................

 

[Weasel Keeper]

Sheesh, I pointed out that an airframe was being retired in 2 years...not a political discussion by any means...

 

[Deuce130]

And just where does that budget come from? Tell me again why Clinton won? BECAUSE OF THE BUDGET DEFICIT! At the time, congress was Democrat controlled, but still, the people wanted to blame the president. The deficit was so large Clinton could not enact the middle class tax cut his campaign had promised. When they got in office and discovered how big it really was (Bush admin as not straight with them or anyone else for that matter), Clinton had to get on TV and renig on his promise. Now, tell me again about stupid................

Well, at least Hawker didn't make crude comments involving oral sex and your mother like he did over on the non-aviation board. Hawker is showing himself to be about as dumb as a box of rocks. I'd recommend ignoring him from this point on.

 

[floater_b2]

For all those pointing out that SDB won't be useful in a conflict like N.Korea I beg to differ. We are not getting rid of all the 2000# bombs. We're just adding to the arsenal. And I guarantee that there are plenty of useful SDB targets in any conflict that we fight, Korea included. Don't worry, we'll still have the larger bombs for those targets that require them. My point was that there are a lot of targets that do not require the 2000# munition. SDB will be great for certain targets. Plus, it doesn't matter what the F-117 was designed to carry. It is first generation stealth and technology has come a long way since it was first designed. The F-22's stealth technology is far superior to anything else that is currently fielded.

 

[Wang Wei]

If we get Hillary elected, we will reduce the national Debt by selling them to IRAN and Syria for top dollar. Oh, almost forgot, we will also be paying alot higher taxes.

IT's THE ECONOMY, STUPID!!!!

The Wanger can't wait to fly black jet!!!!

 

[JimNtexas]

I think that we should buy enough F-22s for three operational squadrons and one school house. That would be more than enough. Use the money we save for the F-35, a far more practical airplane.

I strongly suspect that the age of "stealth" airplanes is about over, cheap and easy detection systems will ensure that there will be no 'invisible airplanes', not that there ever really were.

 

[stonewall]

Yes I do. Small Diameter bomb, used to fight the todays war and to rationalize the money wasted on the F-22. It is a disaster in the making if we ever have a conflict with an actual orgainized military force, as opposed to urban terrorists.

Of course if the only wars in the future are against terrorists we pretty much can retire all the F-15, F-16, and certainly don't need B-2s, F-22s, or F-35s.

I've forgotten more about this stuff than you'll ever know, kid.

Easy, old man. I'm alot more current than you are. Pretty bold statement from a 'vark driver.

 

[Kuma]

If you want to take out permanent equipment, use a missile. If you want to take out people and other soft targets use bombs. If you are going to use bombs, make sure you use bombs that give lots of concussive effects and have lots of schrapnel.

SDB is the Mk 81 reincarnate. Yes, it is more accurate, but against bomb targets, accuracy isn't all that important (as long as you've got great concussion and lots of frags).

You can't take out double digit SAMs with cruise missiles because they are mobile. You need a stealthy aircraft to get in close and VID the thing. Once you make it there, do you really want to drop your half dozen tiny (I mean SDB) bombs and call it a day? The enemy will repair the little damage and continue their mission.

Overkill is always preferable in wartime. JimNTexas knows this...MAGNUM will know this in a couple of years.

We definitely need an air superiority fighter. Once we own the air, then we can use lower tech systems to deliver vast quantitites of death and destruction to our enemies. Most of that "lower tech systems" will be 18 year old riflemen.

Spending as much money as we are on the F-22 is totally criminal.

My 2 cents.

 

[XShipRider]

Debt? We don't need no stinking debt.

That's going to happen regardless. Whoever is next is going to have to raise taxes to pay off this massive federal debt, just like Bush1 and Clinton had to do to clean up Reagan's mess. IT'S SIMPLE MATH, STUPID!!!!

How many years and how many Presidential admin's and how many Congresses
has this been said? All of 'em. We've not been out of debt since before the
Civil War.

http://www.toptips.com/debt_history.htm
http://www.publicdebt.treas.gov/opd/opd.htm#history
http://www.federalbudget.com/
http://www.cedarcomm.com/~stevelm1/usdebt.htm

Now as far as the F-117 goes... look at the billions spent on the space program.
It wasn't the ride or the moon that was important but rather the technology
advancements. That was money well spent.

I believe the same will hold true for the 117, it will be considered the forerunner
to many follow-on technologies.

 

[Kuma]

Double digit SAMs aren't mobile.

Really?