tac airlifter

Agreed CH. A light attack aircraft is so obviously suited for the last 15 years of war (and our projected future) that willful resistance is the only reason we don't have them in our arsenal. Talking about OA-X to 5th gen fighter guys is like talking to cult members. "It's unsurvivable in a modern IADS Kaliningrad type scenario!" Well, so is most of our stuff. And those high end wars are still theoretical. Here in the real world we need that capability, not just for CAS but light ISR strike and SCAR. this issue is insoluble for now, it has totally surpassed the realm of rationale discussion. There is a strongly emotional desire espoused by a cadre of true believers to see contested airspace as more likely than it is, combined with an emotionally based hope our current pattern of endless engagement in low end conflict is waning rather than waxing. Those folks look at the world and just don't see it the way it is; an ironic problem for a service so vocal about the value of education..... but I digress. OPs article links are wishful thinking. None of the senior guys are having it. Some of the most successful aircraft prosecuting current wars (RPAs & U28s) have been forced on senior USAF GOs rather than envisioned and embraced by them. End result: We are losing wars while simultaneously driving our best people away.

What do you mean it hits close to home? You mean an aircraft projected for IOC in 2030 might be flown by people offended with the name association of a 2008 crash? Not trying to be rude, I'm just perplexed by what the issue is. I think raider sounds badass.

This is what I'm talking about. It does require a buffer spring. I currently have it mounted on a pistol lower and I'm changing the buffer tube out for a carbine length tube. What I didn't realize is the LWRC uses a proprietary buffer spring and buffer, made smaller than other pistol buffer tubes which typically use a carbine spring and are carbine length. since I'm switching the proprietary buffer tube out for a carbine length tube, I'll need a new buffer and spring because the old spring and buffer were designed for a shorter tube. I should have been more specific in my initial question. Its just that once I started researching the question, I realized I knew less than I thought.

it's for a piston upper.

Gents, does anyone know anything about buffer weights in AR pistols? Is there any reason for me to buy something heavier than a standard carbine buffer?

Is this an F-35 reference?

Why do you say that?

I've been hearing it for a while. We'll see. Lots of $$ to turn on what they turned off, and no small undertaking if they want to get the RW FID mission back.

I've taken PC-12s there and through the whole area: AVX, L05, L26, L35, CN37.... The only issue is ascertaining taxiway quality at those smaller fields. We need 23' width which is easy to find, but locations that don't see aircraft the size of a PC-12 will sometimes have significant erosion and grass growth on the edges, and that can be problematic. I don't know about an M-28 at REI; looks like single wheel is limited to 12.5 and I have no idea what GW they operate at.

Exactly. I'm so glad I left AMC. Those dudes are a whole new level of risk aversion and rules without reasons.

What's the elevation?

NATO. FML.

FWIW to whoever is considering school versus punching out, I definitely wish I had 7 day opted rather than go to school and accept the ADSC. If I could do it over again, I would have left. Right now, I'm leaving the moment my new commitment is up.

Well that was a fantastic answer, and is exactly the reason I come to BO.net for discussions. There's no way I'd ever have found someone around the proverbial water cooler who had that depth of continuity. Thank you for taking the time to write that out.

Why do we have the RQ-4?

Why? And why AT-6 over A-29? One thing that isn't often discussed when talking about COTS light strike aircraft is acoustic signature, but it's a huge player in (current) SCAR. I don't know how the scorpion stacks up.

people like GC precipitated this crisis, but don't expect any accountability or apology.

Lawman, what is the first rule of fight club?

But they won't ever be used in SOF the way this thread is advocating. Our culture is different, and it's unlikely to change. Consequently, we don't get a justifiable return on investment. It's just my opinion, and I know it's controversial. I just think the AF took an idea that worked in fighters and tried to fit it into a myraid of different cultures and it doesn't fit.

I can't generate the energy to care about the "misuse" of WOs in my corner of the AF. I think the WO program was designed for the fighter world and is not a good fit for MAF or SOF. I personally have not seen the benefit justify the cost in my world. FWIC seems legitimately valuable.

The U28 is not an NSAv aircraft, but yes we have transitioned people there. We have sent folks to every other AFSOC platform.

Concur. If you like protecting friendlies and killing enemies, you'll like the U28. And it will open your eyes to the full spectrum of our worldwide counterterrorist efforts in a way other manned platforms will not. Also the stateside flying of our PC-12 companion trainer is a blast. I took that thing to several hundred exotic and challenging locations that had never seen a plane that big (comparatively) land there.

Are one bedroom quarters with only a microwave for cooking considered "adequate" for a 9 month TDY? I don't know, but it does suck. Given how much suck is inevitable in our careers, and how much of it is beyond our control..... I find myself philisophically opposed to leadership decisions which increase suck merely to be in compliance with regulations, rather than produce some quantifiable increase in mission effectiveness. Officers exist to make smart choices in precisely these kinds of circumstances. Your logic above is soundly IAW applicable regulations. Unfortunately, zealously following regulations made by faceless bureaucrats has significantly increased the personal discomfort of this segment of our war fighting force without increasing their lethality. That's not the kind of leader I want to be, and probably not you either. Perhaps a better leadership angle would be: "I know this training is taking longer than we thought. I know many of you brought your families here and these accommodations are placing a strain on your personal life. Because I care about you being the best RPA operators possible, I recognize that your living environment should be conducive to optimal learning and my on base facilities simply aren't there yet. I'm rescinding my policy and I encourage each of you to find lodging within your budget that best enables an environment where your training is optimized. This is not an efficient use of funds or equipment on my base, but let me worry about those justifications. Our nation needs you to focus on honing the precision engagement skills which have become the bedrock of our strategy against AQ/IS. Do your best, be your best, and thank you for helping me identify a personal strain I can alleviate so you can focus on our mission. Go kick ass."

More like celebrating the escape of poland from the USSR because it was an oppressive empire.