Gates readies big cuts in weapons (Thanks to Obama gutting our military)

Boston Globe ^ | March 17, 2009 | Bryan Bender

[utahson]

Two defense officials who were not authorized to speak publicly said Gates will announce up to a half-dozen major weapons cancellations later this month. Candidates include a new Navy destroyer, the Air Force's F-22 fighter jet, and Army ground-combat vehicles, the offi cials said.

More cuts are planned for later this year after a review that could lead to reductions in programs such as aircraft carriers and nuclear arms, the officials said.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

What is wrong with the Osprey?

[ohioman]

As your post demonstrates, the F-22 is flat out awesome.

[RetiredArmy]

Coming to the military soon: new bows and arrows; swords; spears; chariots with one horse; one shot muskets. Hey, we are going to be a 3d world nation, we might as have a 3d world nation military. Our tanks will be Toyota pickup trucks with a machine gun in the back!!!

[Steve Van Doorn]

My step father who still holds the second most hours in the air in the Air Force has many medals including the Distinguished Flying Cross. His position is that you will always need a human to make a discussion. He agrees the UAV's do have their place but not as the main defense.

also the F15's are getting old the 'A' frame can not fly much longer and it would not be cost effective to rebuild them. So we need a fighter and the only fighter at the moment that can replace the F15's are the F22.

[Mr Rogers]

“They said that crap in Vietnam.”

They were wrong then. Not now.

My career spanned the AIM-9E to AMRAAM. The first, while an improvement over the Vietnam missiles, sucked pretty bad. AMRAAM is amazing.

You might as well say we need to carry sabers, because ‘we needed them at Bull Run!”

[servantboy777]

>>I would rather have Christian Carter and go through 22% mortgage rates than Hitler Obama h*ll bent on destroying my childrens America.<<

Hell, not me........let's get it on. The faster we get to the butting heads part of this thing the faster our country will heal.

I'm up for a fight.

[Mr Rogers]

Dogfights ARE the past. I flew F-4s. That was then.

Do you carry a sliderule, because we needed them in ‘Nam?

[RC2]

I guess he believes that Russia and China are going to stop developing weapons also.

[Steve Van Doorn]

*fix*
not the ‘a’ frame but just the frame. ha

[PigRigger]

trade wars....higher taxes....gutting of the military....yep...Carter II

[DuncanWaring]

I have long argue that by redesigning the fuselage shapes, engines, and avionics of existing aircraft, ...

And your expertise with aeronautics, structures, materials, propulsion and low-observable technology is?

Shall I cue up the crickets?

[08bil98z24]

Do you REALLY believe that the US dropped a 500 lb bomb on the Chinese embassy in Serbia based of 4 year old maps because they THOUGHT there might be trucks parked there?

I always wondered about the downing of the stealth, and then the attack on the embassy.

Considering it is now 10 years later almost, and no one came forward other than the official accident explanation ...

I could possibly buy the theory it was not a mistake or accident ... Considering we were doing recon missions over Serbia for 5+ years before-hand ... We had accurate intelligence ...

No more than a year later, did the spy plane incident in China happen ... Things that make you go hmmm

[rlmorel]

The Osprey had two major crashes during the development phase that killed a large number of men each time.

There are a lot of people who dislike the platform, some genuinely because they care for the lives of men and perceive it to be unsafe, some because they simply have no idea whatsoever why the platform is compelling, and some are a combination of the two. Others see it as a turkey, a bloated, unneeded platform that was purchased only because greedy generals want it.

The truth is, the platform has huge potential, and it is no surprise the USMC wanted it very much, as do the SAR teams.

[DuncanWaring]

RADAR technology is so advanced there is no need for dogfighting skills....

Microsoft Flight Simulator is not generally recognized as an authoritative source on this subject.

[rahbert]

One reason to keep manned systems is that unlike UAVs
manned A/C can still guide themselves if mass shootdowns
of navaid satellites occur.

[Steve Van Doorn]

I think there was an explanation on how they shot down the F 117 or a good theory at least. That is the F117 is very easy to see from space looking down on it, the Russians helped them.
I am not sure the technicalities of that but it makes sense.

[potlatch]

Good post devolve.
Wagya head...

[rwfromkansas]

better visit while it’s still there.

[OafOfOffice]

Yes Sir, Col. William Prescott! Ready for duty Sir!

“Don’t fire until you see the whites of their eyes!” The recession and all save your powder. /wink

I hear all of you. I refuse to give up our country to communism. They have tried for decades to get their man in the White House and they succeeded this time. We have to keep up the fight and make sure it never happens again.

Today’s Quote
“53 million Americans grew tired of being thought to be dumb by the rest of the world,
So they went to the polls and removed all doubt.”

[Blood of Tyrants]

And you are a pompous, arrogant, know-nothing ass.