Massive Air Force reduction

[Deuce130]

Magnum;

If you go outside your closed circle of zoomie, rah rah, fighter jock, AF cheerleaders, I believe you may find others of the same opinion as mine.

Including the opinion that AF CAS from the fighters ain't always as great as you seem to think it is. Things look much different from ground level than they do from 30,000 ft.

They're the ones who would know. You don't see fighter jocks reading some magazines and then telling the navy how NSWU-1 should be equipped or how to train the next generation of boat drivers. I've spent some time around operators, does that mean I'm qualified to have an opinon on them? Don't think so. Just 'cause you watched Wings one night doesn't make you an expert on combat aviation. Besides, no is going to argue that AC-130's make great CAS platforms. That's why the AF is building more. With that said, who's going to provide CAS in a high threat environment? Not the gunship. And even the A-10 is a stretch in a high threat environment. The F-16 is your best bet. Anyone can have an opinion, but somehow you seem to think yours is backed up by all this "evidence" that simply isn't true. And anyone who knows anything about military officers knows that noone would get sent to India to take a dive against foreign fighter pilots. What an insult. Stick to what you know.

 

[Deuce130]

Exactly correct. They usually use the Israeli's for these propaganda demonstrations, using India was the only new twist to this old song.

The F-22 was in full blown development long before this fantastical Cope India exercise that everyone seems to think was so important. Take off the aluminum foil hat and watch out for the black helicopters....

 

[AD SUPT Hopeful]

The lesson's learned with A-10s scud-hunting in the first Gulf War perfectly illustrates Duece130's point.

 

[stonewall]

Well, Magnum, I have read ALL the reports, debriefs and videos and my previous statement still stands.

Well, spyguy, You didn't say the same thing as the other dude. You said we spun the "fiasco" as a reason to buy the F-22. That's not the same thing as organizing an intentional "beatdown" by the Indians.

If you've seen everything as you claim and know anything about red v blue taining exercises, then I shouldn't have to tell you why that exercise turned out the way it did. Enough about that.

 

[stonewall]

Magnum;

If you go outside your closed circle of zoomie, rah rah, fighter jock, AF cheerleaders, I believe you may find others of the same opinion as mine.

Including the opinion that AF CAS from the fighters ain't always as great as you seem to think it is. Things look much different from ground level than they do from 30,000 ft.

Look, Potsy, engage your brain before you type. Nobody said CAS has been perfected...if it was we wouldn't spend so much time trying to make it better. I like diversity of opinion...that's how we get better. However, I don't have any use for uninformed opinion. You can blast the AF "Cheerleaders," but the truth is you've never been inside the circle or even remotely close to it. You don't know what our current capes are and you don't know how AF and Navy fighters are currently doing CAS.

But, by all means, keep posting. Maybe in 2020 I'll get on here and post about how much better tactics were back in '06, and how today's "closed circle, zoomie, space-geek UAV and satellite rah rah cheerleaders" need to bring back the F-16!

 

[stonewall]

Further, the F-16 doesn't do CAS from 30,000'. It's more like 15-25. And you'd be surprised what things look like through a Sniper Pod, day or night. Of course, you don't know anything abou that....

 

[JFReservist]

Um... who's gonna give the gas?

The argument over all of those F-series jets is really entertaining and all, but the 135 turns 50 this year (granted, all of the '56 models are adorning sticks somewhere). Nowhere in any of the articles that I've read is a new tanker platform mentioned. Boeing recently announced that it is considering shutting down the 76 line unless the Air Force figures out what they want to do.

 

[JFReservist]

I'm all for a stealth tanker, or whatever the guys smarter than me wanna build... just make sure they don't stealth my hot-cup, oven and other ammenities... man's got eat. Oh, and a microwave and fridge might be nice - those pizzas take a while to cook and I'm getting tired of forgettin my cooler on those pac runs.

 

[Laxman]

Magnum and Deuce130 - Shack

DGriffin - no kidding, things look a lot different from 20k then it does on the ground. When you say bomb the hill, which hill? I see a thousand hills. Or my favorite where I am now...the blue roof building

And to the rest of you who think you know everything about fighter ops and have not lived it in the last few years, you have no idea but you opinions are just that. Opinion.

 

[LAFrequentflyer]

What happened at Cope India that made such an impact on the AF?

-LA