Clark Griswold

Shocking but true... however as Azimuth said this is on Boeing to eat (sts) Question if anyone has heard this discussed or can comment on an open forum about it: has it been discussed to buy more 46s as the 17s are retired? A friend who flies the 135 seems to think that is the going to be be the case as the 17s reach the end of their service life. Seems reasonable but wondered if this idea is circulating...

Problems but still on track for a September first flight of the KC-46 http://www.seattletimes.com/business/boeing-faces-8-month-delay-on-3b-tanker-contracts/ http://www.military.com/daily-news/2015/07/21/first-air-force-tanker-flight-on-track-despite-cost-overruns.html Sexy beast...

Hipsters? Nah... But I see your point, there is plenty of chaff on their site but occasionally wheat also.

Wouldn't call them clueless but highly opinionated that sometimes keeps them from seeing the forest because the trees. I felt worthy of a repost for this august thread as it was a piece of good news for the besieged F-35 and while CMANO is a video game available to the public and only has publicly available knowledge on it, the simulation engine with the database it has available gives plausible results, just my opinion. Just my summary of the simulation results for those who want the spoiler.

Article from War is Boring on CMANO simulation of F-35B v Su-35 BLUF: shooting someone when they don't know you're there is a great tactic. https://medium.com/war-is-boring/don-t-think-the-f-35-can-fight-it-does-in-this-realistic-war-game-fc10706ba9f4

That may or may not be a big deal over there

True - the Canberra class is significantly smaller than the Kuznetsov class carrier with a ski jump but don't discount the ski jump concept because it can't put as heavy a jet as cat assisted launch. While the Canberra class probably could not handle a Super-duper bug it's the idea that you field what you can afford and work with those capabilities that I argue for. Not everyone can afford a nuclear powered carrier with a steam or EAL system but a lot countries that have or want carriers could afford a ski jump oil burner boat that could get probably 20-30 WOD. China is getting their Su-33 off (sts) with 4,000 lbs. of ordinance while a Superbug can launch with 12,000+ lbs. (no mention of fuel and take reference with salt but seems reasonable) Obviously the cat setup is mucho better but it's not like the ski jump is crap. Bring back weight is also a big problem with STOVL, the Harrier has been dropping ordinance into the drink for years because of vertical performance limits, SRVL will help with this but you are still limited in what can be brought back . Can't argue with the loss of parking for RW aircraft, google'd and seems no one has tried a variable ramp for a ski jump carrier, might as well get a catapult at that point I guess. Add-on now BO.net is Code 1: Found this simulation result on Hornet ski jump feasibility here.

Ski jump hornet - now make that the Advanced Capability Hornet and that is your F-35B alternative. Surprised the Rafale hasn't made any inroads with the Brits - Aussies - Spanish - Italians

Yup If we're not going to be friends then a "business" relationship is better Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Change in course? Dunford: Pentagon Reconsidering Planned Size of F-35 Fleet Pentagon Reconsidering Total F-35 Buy, Dunford Says

War is Boring has another F-35 article, now it's too slow and hot (not in the good way) to win https://medium.com/war-is-boring/no-the-f-35-can-t-fight-at-long-range-either-5508913252dd

Thanks!

Copy that - thanks

Excellent historical film - "There is a way" - about Thud drivers in Vietnam. Just interesting, showing personal interviews, 100 mission celebrations, good times at the club, and some great inflight footage with radio comms.

Anyone recently worked at the Pentagon and commuted from Bolling Green?

War is Boring is really on a tear for the F-35, another article this one saying it's the next 105 (which gets more abuse for its performance than it deserves IMO given what it was tasked to do, the restrictions on ROE and concentration of enemy AAA, SAMs and MiGs) but another for the pile: https://medium.com/war-is-boring/the-f-105-was-the-f-35-of-the-vietnam-era-51863811024a Respect the Thud, it was given a man's job

Is it likely the HUD tape would have survived the impact?

Moral hazard or just getting the break that you got after a big screw up? The case for a German write off of a shit ton of Greek debt. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/08/business/economy/germanys-debt-history-echoed-in-greece.html?_r=0 Not convinced but cutting them a break may be the least bad move. Edit: grammar

Or batshit crazy if you prefer. Project on Government Oversight has an interview with Winslow Wheeler that really gets to most fundamental flaws of the JSF project: concurrency which equals cost + risk + complexity + eggs-in-one-basket http://www.pogo.org/blog/2014/02/heres-what-60-minutes-didnt-tell-you-about-the-f-35.html?referrer=https://www.google.com/

Another great shot of double ugly

Critique on the subject of the F-35B and the current CONOP for use. The Marines’ Stealth Jump Jet Plan Is Wishful Thinking Not that it matters as the milk is already spilled but the idea that an MEU is going to operate on its own without support from USN, USAF, US Army, etc. in any kind of seriously contested environment against another military force is crazy. The doctrine of the USMC may say that they will have that capability but does anyone really believe that? The more we keep just trying to build better versions of the things we have because we keep thinking that this what we will always use or that this is always the way we will do things is a sure fire way to keep making the best airplanes and weapons for the battlefield of 25+ years ago.

Double Ugly

Valid point - this could be a point or requirement when it is LO v. LO aircraft or would a long range IR image from an IRST be enough for VID in that situation? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Keep everything in perspective, from Breaking Defense on Stillion's Trends in Air to Air Combat: http://breakingdefense.com/2015/04/should-future-fighter-be-like-a-bomber-groundbreaking-csba-study/ Put another way, missiles can now often outperform most fighter aircraft, although stealth and electronic warfare help even the score. Trends from the database of air combat since 1965 show the rise of long range missiles and a steep decline in dog-fighting. Of the 33 U.S. kills in the 1991 Persian Gulf war, only four involved any maneuvering at all. 25 years on, the power of long range sensors and missiles is only greater, meaning that traditional fighter attributes such as speed, thrust-to-weight ratios, and turn radius are even less important to success today and in the future. ACM in the WVR arena is still important but winning in the BVR fight is where 5th gen US aircraft heavily outnumbered against 4th+ gen fighters will need to engage and survive. We won't have enough 5th gen to risk in WVR fights when there are 3 or 4 MiG-35s or J-10s for every 22 or 35. Engage, let the AMRAAM go up close and personal, RTB and get ready for the next sortie.