Exiting AF Intel Chief: The Sky Is Falling! The Sky Is Falling!

[unhappycamper]

unhappycamper note: Since the ‘Pentagon’ has ‘requested’ that I only post one paragraph from articles on Army Times, and Airforce Times, I’ve decided to give ya’ll an unhappycamper summary of the article and a link to the OP. To keep in that same (new) tradition, I will also do the same for articles on Navy Times, Marine Corps Times, stripes.com and military.com.To keep in that same (new) tradition, I will also do the same for for articles on Navy Times, Marine Corps Times, stripes.com and military.com.

To read the article in the military's own words, you will need to click the link.

(This space reserved for a legally correct snark dump.) It sure is beginning to smell like fascism.

unhappycamper summary of this article: General, get a fucking grip. If you think We The People can afford more $355 million dollar F-22s and $243 million dollar F-35s, get your head out of your ass. Otherwise hold a bake sale.




Exiting AF Intel Chief: No US Air Superiority
September 15, 2010
Stars and Stripes|by Kevin Baron

“For the first time, our claim to air supremacy is in jeopardy,” Deptula told the Air Force Association’s national convention on Monday.

[Turbineguy]

1. I don't think military people should watch Fox News

For most of us, getting stupid would not have the same catastrophic results.

[zipplewrath]

2. History repeats itself

This is so reminicient of when the Navy was concerned about its battleships, all the while the Aircraft Carrier was changing the entire face of naval battle.

The days of the manned fighter are ending. The rise of the UAV is on the way and the F-35 will almost assuredly be the last of the breed. Air superiority will be established, in the future, much as it is today, by attacking the air defense system directly. Manned aircraft won't be used until the air defense system is sufficiently compromised. And even at that, the cruise missile and the UAV will still be the "go to" choice for many scenarios.

We're going to get to a similar place with the Army and their tanks as well. The day of the tank on tank battle is/has passed. You don't fight tanks with tanks, and the attack role of the tank has been taken over predominantly by the helicopter (and a bit by the UAV). There will always be mobile artillery (well for the foreseeable future), but the day of the tank assualt is over.

Truth is, we have probably seen the last of direct military confrontations between major powers. The use of intermediaries has dominated much of the last half century, and China and Russia seem to be headed towards that model. The existence of atomic weapons has pushed major powers to seek ways to attack so as not to expose themselves to direct responses. Does anyone really believe we will confront China militarily over Tawian?

[Historic NY]

3. Its like we need more aircraft carriers....now bigger targets for chinese missles.

the military always seems to fall back.

[democrank]

4. Love that bake sale idea.

Imagine how long it would take to purchase White Phosphorus when the money rolls in one peanut butter frosted cupcake at a time?