Clark Griswold

On a new Russian offensive, British analysis: Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I hope you're right and I'm wrong. I'm pessimistic about the war as I think they (Russians) have enough mobliks now and ammo to launch another offensive, really just to try to get Ukraine to negotiate and accept territorial concessions. Russia Seen as Preparing for Massive Winter Offensive in Ukraine, Including New Run on Kyiv | World Report | U.S. News (usnews.com) Another decent read on the Ukr / Rus war: Putin's War in Ukraine Is Brutal (It Looks Like the Crimean War) - 19FortyFive

Interested in guesses from this audience… War in Ukraine, how much longer do you think it will go before an armistice or a negotiation to a permanent settlement? My opinion it will last most of next year, past the summer. Russia is garnering forces, buying weapons, learning/adapting some. NOT a statement of support but my assessment. Ukraine is also, the war and likely final line of control will remain east of the Dneiper River. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

link to APC thread: Congratulations to First Officer Pettit - Airline Pilot Central Forums (airlinepilotforums.com)

Gotcha Concur with over manning in useless positions in staff positions with pilots and no disagreement on A1 not selling the assignment because they insanely believe they are not going to get the same / a bit more MILPERS in the next FY that they have been getting in the previous recent FYs. Yeah there's some risk taken but not an inordinate amount for the reward (filling critical manning) then you take risk, if you don't get the MILPERS you thought you were going to get, reprioritize as you spent some early and don't fund something else. Multiyear MPA tours are possible and can / should be advertised to attract volunteers and done so that the member could make plans to keep mama bear and cubs happy. I'm just ranting and not disagreeing that it won't scale, I'm just ranting because the AF again is confronted with a problem and just looks for ways and rules to keep itself from solving it.

Did not know that. Quite possible Get out your check book AF and you can fix this 1 - Hire for 2 year contracts ER / other aviation colleges grads for two year contracts or 750 training sorties. Incentivize timely production. 100k student loan repayment upon completion and with housing provided, pay per flight hour avg FO pay at an LCC. 2 - Offer 2-3 year MPA tours with 50k bonus per year as long TDYs to Guard and Reserve 3 - Recruit Army WO pilots You have the money in MILPERS, stop being miserly, if you wanna catch fish sometimes you just need more/better bait Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

How is the AF not able to do this? The Army has DACs (dept of the army civilians) flying aircraft as instructors and just regular crew stateside for years Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Yup saw that, more bullshit proving to me “they” believe we’re serfs and they will just give us what they think we should get not what was paid for or agreed to After reading that and hearing about what TVA did the next hot trend is for every house to be wired for self generated power Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

German Govt Wants to Remote Control Home Heat, Electric Car Charge (breitbart.com) And lemme guess, there would be special accounts that would not be subject to the same rationing when power gets scarce?

That assumes they (the USMC) will be doing the same mission sets as they did in the past, with the development of long-range precision fires, persistent ISR and other systems (small drones, loitering munitions, etc...) I doubt the future will look like the past, similar but also significantly different. USMC also doubtful of the big amphibious landings too now: The questionable future of amphibious assault (brookings.edu) I think they should have their own air fleet but it's crazy to think in a major conventional fight that they will be own their own for weeks at a time. Methinks it's not crazy for them to be a self-contained deterrence force against certain adversaries and to put down small wars / limited contingency ops (NEO being a great example) requiring a certain amount of conventional combined arms power to execute successfully. I suggested the Sea Gripen earlier as it is a pretty good example of what I think is the right level of capability & affordability, probably not enough to conduct Forcible Entry style operations but enough to respond and repel aggression at the edges and corners of our areas of interest. That type of system based on a more capable boat (angle deck, ski jump, amphib well) but smaller than a nuke CVN, should have been the solution methinks.

At some point, the people (not just Republicans) who don't want an open border, knowingly abused asylum system, ignored migration laws and non-enforcement of deportation orders will have to publicly admit that the other side is not a partner in a rule of law, egalitarian democratic republic. Whether to continue to take the continuing humiliation and contemptuous abuse will be that which determines the fate of the republic. When do you think they will stop? When they get 10 million, 20 million or 40 million new voters, clients for the welfare state and people willing to work for less than you will? At some point you have to stand up to Biff or you will do his homework forever.

The Sea Gripen Just vaporware now but digital engineering and preliminary work has already been done. Not a crazy concept to take a plane designed to hit the road at the 690 fpm and stop inside of a 1500' and modify for carrier ops. Reduce signature where you can (air intakes, weapons carriage, etc...) and leverage the good EW capes already in the Gripen weapons system. Brazil, India and other allies have looked at a Sea Gripen but the USMC should have taken the lead and methinks they would have gotten others to get off the fence also. Like the F-20, the Allies will get confident when/if we buy it. https://www.asianmilitaryreview.com/2017/02/gripen-m-for-indian-navy/ My point on the Gripen would be relevant about 15 years ago but the horse has left the barn but i rant away anyway... Anyway dueling opinions on the Lightning Carriers for pot stirring: https://www.businessinsider.com/us-lightning-carriers-more-capable-than-chinese-carriers-admiral-says-2022-11 https://warontherocks.com/2021/10/lightning-carriers-emerge-as-asias-new-capital-ships-strategic-investments-with-varied-operational-value/ My two cents, yes to smaller carriers, maybe to B model 35s, no to believing anything is gonna change from the acquisition path we are on.

The only logical choice for Boeing to develop:

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/a-reality-check-on-the-army-picking-v-280-valor-over-sb1-defiant Worth a read Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

True and probably so Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Probably an Occam’s Razor decision but I could see some benefit to a split buy in maintaining a healthy industrial base I would not be opposed to developing a spec ops focused version of the X2 to further the co axial rotor technology #porkbarrel maybe but there is a value in just R&D for seeing where it leads Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

They can go the extra mile this last FY Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Has anyone gotten an ETP to perform all AFTPs over 2 quarters but not exceeding the 72 per year?

The adsc should be linked to the amount of / quality of training The more they cut in flight hours the less Congress should let them set high adscs

Yup - just a bit awkward One more for today Smokin’!: Chain-Smoking Chinese Runner Completes Marathon in 3.5 Hours https://www.breitbart.com/sports/2022/11/14/smokin-chain-smoking-chinese-runner-completes-marathon-3-5-hours/ Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Keep on rocking https://www.tmz.com/2022/11/14/100-year-old-man-celebrates-birthday-strip-club-dallas/?adid=social-fb&fbclid=IwAR0D96ZlQCWhXzHM38ajuHFuS6h8H1Pb0fAIdpgh5hOZBjRNjj6dQHykAG8 Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Drop that telephone pole, count 2 Mississippi then maneuver I imagine... non-fighter pilot's opinion but the long range interceptor with a VLRAAM will be able to shape the fight by first look / shot if they enter the ring off the top rope coming down on a 4th gen opponent, 5th gen would be different due to less SA till the players are closer and the interceptors get a radar hit they can use Just a DCS video of a 2 ship of 31s vs a 2 ship of Vipers... but being put on the defensive first as you close on the Foxhounds looks like a problem... again just a DCS video without all the other support assets that would assist this Viper two ship but to illustrate the problem of not getting the first shot

The RF-4 would be a good inspiration for a revitalized capability in that mission set, that mission is different now but still present me thinks... Anyway, for info and to stir the pot... https://www.mcara.us/RF-4B.html https://flying-eyes.fandom.com/wiki/McDonnell_Douglas_RF-4_Phantom_II RF-4s with upgrades under Project SURE. Inspiration but not necessarily a design starting point, this is just a theoretical requirement I would still prioritize altitude, endurance over speed so a larger, straighter (sts i guess) wing but maybe a delta for whatever fuselage form would be selected. Sensors over weapons but the capacity to weaponize as a must have.

What I think it can solve or bring to the fight are capes we now have on HVAAs that can not survive in the A2AD space and bring a capability (arsenal) that we will need when outnumbered I’m somewhat skeptical of a converted large cabin biz jet but not totally discounting it but if it’s to go forward and support a package on night 1, probably having to get closer than we want to get effective sensor coverage on targets due to heavy EW, a jet that can self defend seems like the best COA. That self defense is comprehensive: speed, altitude, maneuver, ECM, etc… The big idea I think with this type platform would be it brings benefits and not liabilities to the strikers, doesn’t detract or need AR, can defend itself and has enough range to not require a forward basing presence that could take up space from an ACE based fighter. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Fair enough I’m not adamant about it but intrigued by the idea, it’s on the Firebird concept jet that NG has developed https://www.northropgrumman.com/what-we-do/air/firebird/the-flexibility-of-firebird/ Their website doesn’t really give any reasons why you would want that just touts that you can, you might be right that it’s just a party trick, any hooo… Maybe optionally manned in this sense is not one that is field switchable but at the factory/depot level can be configured manned or unmanned. Now thinking a bit more on this and considering Danger41’s point on the need for performance if you want a good arsenal platform, would this be a candidate for a modern swept wing platform? Sweep for supersonic loft maneuver to launch VLRAAMs, egress then extend for endurance orbit? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk