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To: 1010RD
I agree with you and Col. John Boyd (ret. deceased) who noted not just the incredible waste, but that our planes did not perform up to snuff v. the Soviets. We did not really have air superiority, at least not in a fight.

Boyd was a genius in some areas, but he was stuck in the tactical world of 1955. And whenever our planes have gone up against Soviet planes, we've kicked ass.

128 posted on 03/17/2009 9:06:41 AM PDT by Mr Rogers (Obama - Making Jimmy Carter look like a giant!)
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To: Mr Rogers

I would suggest you read (or re-read) the various books available on Boyd.

He was a tactical genius, in that he taught himself how to get the maximum capabilities of our aircraft ...inspite of design limitations.

He became an Aerodynamics expert who was instrumental in changing/improving aircraft acquisition to get a very capable (and much lower cost) F-16 fighter aircraft.

Later on - he became the latest “global thinker” on the same level as Sun-Tzu, Machiavelli, Clausewitz, etc., in maneuver tactics. His OODA loop was used ...from the individual fighter dog-fight, to the larger battle field ...to the global strategic picture.

If you claim Col Boyd was stuck in the 1950’s - you don’t know Boyd! For example - he was called in as an advisor prior to the Desert Storm attack to kick Saddam’s military out of Kuwait ...based on his global thinking/strategic capabilities! The Marines consider him to be one of the major thinkers of the 20th Century for tactical planning.


184 posted on 03/17/2009 12:04:39 PM PDT by Vineyard
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