We’ve 182 operational F-22’s where are you getting this number of 146?
Don’t assume a force on force of numbers in this game, our plans for warfare are never revealed until you’re a smoking hole in the sky. So theorize away, but you will be way off the mark when you do.
We’ve 182 operational F-22’s where are you getting this number of 146?
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No 182 is not correct - many of those are not combat ready, others are awaiting spare parts form others that have been cannibalized. There are only 146 that are operational and combat ready; the number grows small each day as things wear our and cannot be readily replaced. Sequestration ... no money.
The figure comes from an article by Tyler Rogoway at The War Zone. I don’t remember which article - there are a lot of them. Tyler, in case you don’t know, is something of an authority in the non-classified world on all things military - much of his info comes from first hand or from contacts within a given military area.
Much of what you call ‘theory’ is from doctrine and is in the public domain. Sometimes, in the classified world, things which those in that world see as classified are actually in the public domain. In that case, those people’s job is to not reveal that those things are actually classified by ignoring the writer or the speaker - do not call attention to the classified.
Battles and wars are not won on theory. They are won when the last person willing to fight and die for his cause is killed.
Quantity has a quality all its own. Wars are always about numbers. Sherman and T-34 tanks come to mind as recent historical examples.