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Gates readies big cuts in weapons (Thanks to Obama gutting our military)
Boston Globe ^ | March 17, 2009 | Bryan Bender

Posted on 03/16/2009 10:15:25 PM PDT by 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.

(Excerpt) Read more at boston.com ...


TOPICS: Breaking News; Foreign Affairs; Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: bho44; clark; elections; militarycuts; obama; secdefclark; westleyclark
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To: Mr Rogers

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


161 posted on 03/17/2009 11:01:57 AM PDT by Blood of Tyrants (Socialism is the belief that most people are better off if everyone was equally poor and miserable.)
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To: DuncanWaring

Being an engineer who likes to keep up with current trends, it probably a great deal greater than yours.


162 posted on 03/17/2009 11:03:22 AM PDT by Blood of Tyrants (Socialism is the belief that most people are better off if everyone was equally poor and miserable.)
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To: Blood of Tyrants

Being an engineer who likes to keep up with current trends, I say you appear to be a pompous, arrogant, know-nothing ass.


163 posted on 03/17/2009 11:05:50 AM PDT by DuncanWaring (The Lord uses the good ones; the bad ones use the Lord.)
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To: utahson

Cutting the F-22 won’t matter against al-Qaeda. It WILL matter, however, against the next generation of Russian and Chinese fighter aircraft. With the Russians pledging to modernize their entire military in the next couple years, they’ll have superior air power over us. This is something that has never occurred up until now.


164 posted on 03/17/2009 11:07:00 AM PDT by ScottinVA (Christian and armed)
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To: voveo

“The world is not a peaceful place without the power of US military. We’ll lose NYC for sure.”

NYC, along with the rest of NY, wanted the POS in the White House and they got their wish. Now come the consequences.


165 posted on 03/17/2009 11:09:35 AM PDT by ScottinVA (Christian and armed)
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To: rlmorel

The facts are on my side, that and I know just how much the Marines have been needing a replacement for the CH46 since the eighty’s.

I worked with the XV-15 program, not as part of the program but as a head NCO of a team that supplied an OV-10 to fly simulated missions with them.

The potential is there, always has been and those that want to kill this aircraft are denying the Marines a very valuable asset for the future of the Corps.


166 posted on 03/17/2009 11:10:53 AM PDT by usmcobra (Your chances of dying in bed are reduced by getting out of it, but most people still die in bed)
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To: Blood of Tyrants

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

Correction. I’m a pompous, arrogant, know-nothing ass with 2500 hrs in fighters, who finished his career doing operational test of fighter weapons systems.

You?


167 posted on 03/17/2009 11:12:22 AM PDT by Mr Rogers (Obama - Making Jimmy Carter look like a giant!)
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To: Little Pig

Me, too. I was wondering if it would be the MRAPs. If my son gets redeployed, at this point I’m worried he’ll be patrolling on a damn bicyle. Dear God, this makes me sick -what they’re doing to our military and the families!


168 posted on 03/17/2009 11:14:44 AM PDT by fishergirl (My warrior, my soldier, my hero - my son. God bless our troops!)
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To: usmcobra

I had friends who worked testing the USAF version of Osprey. Like any new aircraft - particularly one so different - it has had its share of troubles. However, we’d be flat on our butts without it!


169 posted on 03/17/2009 11:15:32 AM PDT by Mr Rogers (Obama - Making Jimmy Carter look like a giant!)
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To: MinuteGal

“As a former CIA director with strong Republican credentials, Gates is prepared to use his credibility to help Obama overcome the expected outcry from conservatives. And after a lifetime in the national security arena, working in eight administrations, the 65-year-old Gates is also ready to counter the defense companies and throngs of retired generals and other lobbyists who are gearing up to protect their pet projects.”


170 posted on 03/17/2009 11:15:55 AM PDT by verity ("Lord, what fools we mortals be!")
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To: Blood of Tyrants

Now that we’ve gotten the pleasantries out of the way, perhaps you can explain how F-15s and F-16s, each with a dozen or so variants in structures, engines and avionics all seem to be utterly outclassed by the F-22, if reports out of Red Flag and such have any credibility?


171 posted on 03/17/2009 11:16:17 AM PDT by DuncanWaring (The Lord uses the good ones; the bad ones use the Lord.)
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To: usmcobra

Agreed. Even the most basic mission it could perform, medevac, has huge potential for saving lives. When every minute counts, it can get the injured man to advanced care in half the time or twice the distance in the same time, even on one engine.

That, and the ingress and egress speed are huge advantages over helicopters.

Most civilians (and even a lot of military people) don’t understand that even though the USMC traditionally is a pretty spartan service, it has a great record of looking at new technology and how to use it. As I recall, they were the first to perform a full scale aerial assault with helicopters back in the Korean War.


172 posted on 03/17/2009 11:16:45 AM PDT by rlmorel ("The Road to Serfdom" by F.A.Hayek - Read it...today.)
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To: Blood of Tyrants

Oops! Sorry. You’re an “engineer who likes to keep up with current trends”.

Can’t get much more authoritative than that! What sort of engineering do you do? Waste management?


173 posted on 03/17/2009 11:17:40 AM PDT by Mr Rogers (Obama - Making Jimmy Carter look like a giant!)
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To: Blood of Tyrants
Have you seen the Wired article on the errors in the development of the Osprey?

It was managed very poorly and did take some lives...but the engineering development seems to have delivered a good transport....with new capability...

174 posted on 03/17/2009 11:18:23 AM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach (What happened to my IRAs)
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To: 1010RD
A military-industrial complex soaking up our tax dollars on wasteful projects

Isn't that a Nancy Pelosi talking point issued to all of her followers?

175 posted on 03/17/2009 11:21:16 AM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach (What happened to my IRAs)
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To: 1010RD
I don’t know a single AF pilot who believes men will be in planes during the next fight.

I know a lot.

176 posted on 03/17/2009 11:21:52 AM PDT by SIDENET (President Obama's teleprompter has issued a stern warning to corporate executives)
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To: SIDENET

I work in a fighter squadron and they are always training for the next fight.


177 posted on 03/17/2009 11:24:14 AM PDT by saminfl ( FUBO)
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To: verity

If Gates is going to willingly assist Obama in his pledge to gut our military, then he is dead to my eyes. He might as well share a house with James Carville. (I know, I know, Carville’s wife is a conservative...go figure)


178 posted on 03/17/2009 11:24:32 AM PDT by rlmorel ("The Road to Serfdom" by F.A.Hayek - Read it...today.)
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To: rlmorel

“If”.

Zero and the libs are going to cut the military budget to pay for a social agenda. DOD and the Services are going to have to pick and chose. They are far more competent to deal with this problem than the blowhards on this forum.


179 posted on 03/17/2009 11:32:24 AM PDT by verity ("Lord, what fools we mortals be!")
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To: saminfl
I work in a fighter squadron and they are always training for the next fight.

Yep. They certainly are.

I always hear how satellites will replace our C2ISR aircraft, and UAVs will replace all of our fighter/strike aircraft.

It sounds great, until you realize that satellites have very real limitations (and vulnerabilities), and that there are big advantages to having a person in the cockpit of a fighter or atrike aircraft.

Anyway, where are these badass UAVs? We don't have money for squat as it is, but we are supposed to crap out something that would beat an F-15E or F-22?

180 posted on 03/17/2009 11:32:35 AM PDT by SIDENET (President Obama's teleprompter has issued a stern warning to corporate executives)
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