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F-16's et al

Posted: Sun Aug 09, 2015 8:59 pm
by JOHN THURSTON
Ahh--George I got in but I am on the Forum.

Well, thanks to George bush's decision to NOT ALLOWformer Iraqi soldiers into the new Iraqi Army and to Mr. Obama's sticking to the date announced for withdrawal, we are faced with going into Iraq for a third time.

At the End of the Last war their were several options that would have probably prevented ISIS' entry into Iraq ( power always first flows to the weakest area to assert itself).
1. Leave substantial numbers of US service men in Iraq . Sound s tterrible, but we maintain troops in Germany, South Korea and a host of other nations, including on Israel's Southern border arranged when Anwar Saddat was still not assassinated.
2. Leave a quick reaction force in Kuwair and Turkey. Turkey has, however, alwys objected to this idea, now their forces are fighting Pesh merga, Iraqi and Turkish Kurds
3. Keep a large enough force in Saudi Arabia and on Ammphibious assault ships.

4. Divide Iraq between Kuwait and Turkey, ahh, nice though, but would the Iranians have kept quiet over that. Now they have their nuclear deal, and it may not be so far off in the future that we will no longer be able to entertain punitive conventional Strikes against Iran. We all know the "deal" has the Saudi's screameing for patriot Missiles.

In other new that is now a month old, a "dirty" F-16, ie: one carrying exsternal stores, beat a "clean" F-35 in a dogfight. Well, despite it's own very rocky start due to fatalities caused by "harness chafing" (the F-16 has no hydraulic systems re: flight control, but m ay have control safeties which can be disengaged. But now, it is perhaps the most successful US Fighter program. The F-22 could handle it, but enough are not deployed.

Boeng has developed a semi stealthy version of the F-15 called the "Silent Eagle". Semi Stealthy or not, Strike Eagles (F-15E's) are the airforces major way of delivering lots of bombs to other spots, and if the Silent version is based on that version, IT GETS MY VOTE. Assuming limited run of F-35's to precede it. (the F-35 is smaller that the F-15 and all its stores much be carried internally, resulting in smallish payloads. Assuming their stealth capability remain viable, they could be used in "SEAD" aka "Iron Hand " aka "Wild Weasel" anti anti aircraft missions effectively as was the F-117 in Desert Storm.

Nuff said: John

Re: F-16's et al

Posted: Tue Sep 19, 2023 4:17 pm
by emattson
One aspect of karate I hear many times is the importance of practicing -- repetitive katas until the moves are embedded in muscle memory. In my opinion, that also can apply to adjusting the military budget to improve simulations and practice. Tom Clancy, in his non-fiction book Submarine, agrees, "I would contend that it is better to decommission an SSN or two rather than give up the valuable training that these facilities provide to the force." (Building the Boats; Groton--Home of the Dolphins)