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Your points are well taken. Russian equipment is not good. But what saddens me is that unlike when the F-15 and F-16 were top dogs, we don't seem to have the will to build or fund the new top dogs. I don't know much about the F-22, but it seems to me that it is a capable machine. Damn the expense! Get this aircraft on line and in numbers! Also, we need to upgrade our AAM's. When did the US lose the moxie to be number 1? The JSF? Please, what a piece of crap! We'd do better using the Israeli's upgrades and avionics to the exisitng F-16 force. We also need helicopters which work. These need to be fast and small - very small. Tell your senators to get on the stick! (so to speak).

"Your points are well taken."

Thank you.

"Russian equipment is not good."

I dont know if "not good" is the elan I would apply to it but it is definitely not on par with American lethality. I think they make stuff better then the Chinese...but they are somewhere in the South African/Israel range as far as practicality.

"But what saddens me is that unlike when the F-15 and F-16 were top dogs, we don't seem to have the will to build or fund the new top dogs. I don't know much about the F-22, but it seems to me that it is a capable machine. Damn the expense! Get this aircraft on line and in numbers!"

I agree we need to continue to put out top of the line equipement. Problem that we have now come up on is that we have reached a window that has us caught between being capable of designing & deploying the next generation of weapon systems....and....being able to discern the body of the next generation of weapon systems after that.....we are kinda in uncharted territory that has us in the goofy teenager stage....a lethal teenager that can knock you out with one punch, but still in an awkward state.

This really began to manifest during the 90's. As a result we had planners who were caught being a bit noncommittal[sp?] and they tried to fund both generations.

Now...GW and Rumsfeld have laid down the marker.....skip a generation....we are still in the "hold down the genrals and slap it into them" stage. Soon it will take...we may have to stick it out with some systems...that are lacking by our own standards but are still exremely capable by everyone elses...until we can get the second generation online.

Growing pains...keep the faith....and never vote for another DEMOCRAT...as long as those two things dominate the scene for the next ten years, we'll be fine.

"The JSF? Please, what a piece of crap!"

Tell me why you think so.

When did the US lose the moxie to be number 1?

I dunno, must have gone down a White House sink.

Tell your senators to get on the stick! (so to speak).

I'll be careful phrasing that one to Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison. She may wear Peter Pan collars and Breck hair, but she's been known to whomp people over the head with a briefing book.