There's lots of F-16's and F-15's parked at Davis-Monthan, no reason to build new ones if you're not buying F-35's and F-22's.
Posted on 06/16/2009 8:11:41 PM PDT by Nachum
House defense authorizers are pressing Defense Secretary Robert Gates to consider buying existing fighter jets instead of the next-generation F-35 Joint Strike Fighter to curtail a severe fighter jet shortfall in the Air Force National Guard.
During a House Armed Services Committee markup of the 2010 defense authorization bill on Tuesday, lawmakers raised alarm that aircraft shortfalls could present significant challenges to the Air Force’s ability to protect domestic airspace.
At press time, lawmakers had included an amendment sponsored by Reps. Frank LoBiondo (R-N.J.) and Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.) that would force Gates to consider buying F-15, F-16 and F-18 aircraft with Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar, high-capacity datalink, enhanced avionics and the ability to deploy advanced weapons.
(Excerpt) Read more at thehill.com ...
The list, ping
NO! We need the F-35. Stupid.
“F-15, F-16 and F-18 aircraft with Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar, high-capacity datalink, enhanced avionics and the ability to deploy advanced weapons.”
We have these in service now. We need the newer tech in new airframes.
That's what cost us dearly in WWII and Korea. The rest of the world proceeded with their R&D and we rested on our laurels. This peace dividend will cost lives. It will also cost us our aerospace industry.
When we really need a 5th generation fighter, we can always buy one from the Russians.
There's lots of F-16's and F-15's parked at Davis-Monthan, no reason to build new ones if you're not buying F-35's and F-22's.
What’s amazing is the amount of $$$$ they are just throwing to the wind - and they cut military funding in the midst of a Nuclear threat from two rogue nations. Lovely.
Without the purchase of the F-35 for the ANG, the unit price of the Navy/Marine Corps variants will skyrocket.
Are they planning on scraping the entire F-35 weapons system?
Knowing that dumbass Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.), she’ll demand all of the manuals and markings inside the cockpit be written in Spanish. What a dumb ****.
I thought the F-22 and F-35 were competing for a contract. When did it happen that both were going to be purchased?
I would assume we have hundreds of all sorts of aircraft parked at that base. Question is though how many are serviceable.
I don't think so. The Russians won't be taking our checks much longer. Our credit's no good.
Three or four years ago it happened.
The F-22 was to replace the F-15’s. And the F-35 was to replace the F-16, A-10, F-18, and a number of allied airframes.
Most are not serviceable. The were sent there by START and SALT treaties, and budget cuts. They are used for parts, occasionally.
The F-22 is an air superiority fighter intended to replace the F-15. The F-35 is a multi-role fighter intended to be produced in variants that can be tailored to the individual needs of the Navy, Marines and USAF. It is intended to replace the F-16 and F/A-18.
The multi-role concept gets us back to the F-111 (TFX) which wound up being a bomber instead of a fighter. Also, it was completely rejected by the navy which developed the F-14 as their version of the F-111 that actually worked shipboard.
Now it looks like we will get neither in any great numbers. We'll just get reinvented vintage aircraft.
F-16 ping.
Saturday morning, 174th Fighter Wing pilots will take off on their final scheduled deployment in the cockpits of the fighter jets they've flown since the 1980s.....In the fall of 2010, the F-16s replacement -- new, unmanned drones called MQ-9 Reapers -- will arrive at Hancock Field.....the unmanned drones are "the future of aviation in terms of high performance fighters," [174th Fighter Wing Commander] Bradley said.
Syracuse's 174th Fighter Wing's F-16s taking off on final scheduled deployment
Maybe we can buy the cheap Chinese knock-offs. Send the procurement officer to Wal-Mart aisle 9, ask for the “Bum-Dong 35”.
The reason the F-15s and F-16s are at AMARK to begin with, is that they are tired (and occasionally breaking up in flight).
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