Posted on 04/30/2010 9:01:40 PM PDT by ErnstStavroBlofeld
The U.S. Air Force has decided that its looming fighter shortage, caused by delays in the F-35 program, and the aging of its F-16 and F-15 fleet, is not as bad as they believed. Two years ago, before the F-35 development got delayed even more, the air force predicted being short 800 fighters in the next decade or so. But now the shortage is believed to be no more than 185 (in 2024), and this could be avoided if production of F-35s was speeded up.
The F-35 delays have been growing over the last few years, and the air force was already developing a refurbishment program for its F-15 and F-16 fighters. This could also involve recalling some fighter retired as a result of post-Cold War downsizing. The air force is also tacitly acknowledging that, with the introduction of JDAM, and GPS guided shells and rockets by the army, many fewer warplanes are needed for bombing. The end of the Cold War eliminated (literally) the mighty Soviet Air Force, which the U.S. Air force and Navy were planning on defeating with a large number of fighters. But no potential enemy has anything like the Soviet fighter force, and is not likely to any time soon. Moreover, the United States still has many allies with first class fighters, and pilots. Air force and navy air power planners don't like to admit it, but they could probably defeat likely enemies with the current (and refurbished) force even if the F-35 suffers further delays.
(Excerpt) Read more at strategypage.com ...
Yeah right. Did the guy writing this never hear of China?
Sounds like a political, not a tactical/strategic “solution”
China has about ~400 fighters which might be a match for ours, and about a 1000 which would be cannon fodder.
We have I think 600 or so F-15’s, 1000 F-16’s, and ~130 F-22’s.
Plus the Navy and the Marines.
I think we’d be ok.
(1) You quote current figures...not future figures. The PLAAF is modernizing --and expanding I think. Meanwhile, our numbers are dwindling.
(2) Quantity has a quality all its own.
(3) The PLAAF doesn't have to fight for global air superiority-- only air superiority in its home turf.
We are living in a world gone mad. Nothing but one spin after another. People have become brazen in their fabrications.
Our Air Power fighters/bombers is 10-15 years more advanced than any other nation air force on the Planet. If we go into an air war against Russia and China combined we will destroy all their air forces and we will lose less than 2% of our fighters/bombers.
All the Chinese fighters would be in China, or nearby. Not all of ours could or would be. What fraction would be nearby would depend on what *else* was going on in the world.
The F-22s are, but there are only 130 of them. By the rule of thumb, only about 40-50 would be available for operations at any one time.
The F-15s, F-16s and F/A-18s are not nearly so advanced over other nations.
The Chinese can’t deploy all of their fighters because of other regional threats like India, and they’d most likely be attacking one of our allies who also has a sizeable and proficient air force like Taiwan, Japan, or Korea.
That would mostly provide jobs for middle class Republicans. What would be the advantage in that for The One?
BTW, at a time when we have very unemployment, the Air Force is putting people on the street, good people, involuntarily, to meet new lower manpower ceilings. They've been doing the incentive to leave thing, but now, it's RIF time. First they are going to involuntarily retire some Colonels, L/Cs and Majors who don't yet have 20 years in. I'm not sure what the provisions for retired pay are, likely it will be slightly reduced over what the person would get if the stayed until 20. That was done under Billy Jeff, except that the program was voluntary.
Exactly. I’m sure after the 1,000th one the per-unit cost would drop precipitously. :-)
Our fighting men and women who risk their lives for our freedom deserve the absolute best tools we can give them, regardless of cost.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.