Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Where is the USAF going?

This is the price of our United States Air Force.

We have a B-2 bomber force where losing one aircraft is significant.

We have the F-22, which will have to go through its second initial operating capability (IOC) by any-other-name; if the life-support system issue is ever resolved. Read here of how the maintainers are catching up on things; including mods that would normally not be done for years.

The "future" is with a fighter aircraft that is unproven. One potential bright spot with the F-35--only if major systems get to be consistently reliable--it should be easier to maintain even if it is more expensive to operate and maintain than what it replaces.

The USAF is going to get even smaller. Simply because every "modern" weapon system we want to field is gold plated.

JASSM from C-130s and C-17s?

Anyone?

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Wasn't Australia going to put them on the P3C to substitute for the F111?

Anonymous said...

Was abondoned because it's a Navy airplane and an Air Force missile...oh wait...

Anonymous said...

And it was a bit slower than the
F111?

Anonymous said...

But the F111 was about to fall out of the sky from old age. Angus said so under oath to a Senate Committee meeting.

Unknown said...

Yeah I know. Someone tell me the story again of how in his early days, Houston didn't end up flying fast-movers. I forget.

A good story for a rainy day.

Anonymous said...

Indeed Houston flew the UH1.
I also remember a story an article of years ago, with senior officers in the Indian Airforce complaing ot th politicans how their commander, an ex helicopter pilot as unable to understand the role of the airforce, or fast jets, and told fibbies.
Could be a relative?