Lawman

2 things.... If the goal of aggressor squadrons is to truly replicate any and all threats likely to be encountered when Air Forces around the world getting ready to field their own 5th gens... And Price of aircraft decreases with larger group buys and total cost of ownership decreases with less diverse fleets... Why are we kidding ourselves or trying to buy some other aircraft instead of say... buying a stripped down version of the 35 which doesn't necessarily need as robust a mission capability but instead can go out there and replicate the worst day scenario of a LO threat in the Red Air playbook, or attach some radar reflective pylons and play Johnny 3rd-4th gen 4/5 days of the week? I feel like all buying some FA-50/Saab/etc trainer jet and trying to use it as an aggressor also is going to just lead us to the exact question of "ok now that PAK-FAs are everywhere how to we make a stealth aggressor" 10 years from now anyway. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

And I think a lot of that prevention that is a concern: -Ground Security -Log-pack -FOD/airstrip MX -Etc But it could and would be more easily solved by combining the idea of forward basing with personnel that actually understand aviation operations. One of the biggest boons to the Army UAS community was in getting a lot of it out of the BCTs and attaching them to Aviation Brigades. At least fundamentally those people understand how to better keep and feed aircraft. This in a way would be the today's version of some of the Raven/Birddog/FAC type little expeditionary strips we used in Vietnam. Where yes it says US Air Force on the side but you look and live more like the grunts you are there with. I'd venture you would see a very similar attitude of mutual support if you were at some of these forward locations in a "we are here to help but you gotta help us" type capacity vs playing the game of my toys are expensive and your mission is not worth the risk. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Meanwhile... in the service that treats aviation like Hilux's.... I'm not discounting your points, but take a look at our forward UAS presence out there right now in the AOR. If we can land 10-15 million dollar sensor equipped drones on an airfield that had as little preparation made for it as just an earth mover and a couple sprays of Rhino Snot, you aren't going to win any favor with the supported commander (the ground force) by insisting you can't go to the same places. I'm the first to admit the way the Army beats on its helicopters is a self inflicted injury, but to pretend that an aircraft meant to survive austere conditions is a bad idea is a bit much. Yes your example of forward to the point of "why are we doing this?" Is valid, but it's also the 1% of the time Flight Concepts "let's go get Bin Laden" kind of day. The other 99% would be take a look at the conditions at some of our "Not Erbil/Taji" airstrips out there and say we need to set up operations. Essentially the requirement shouldn't be that it can go mud bogging, but that it wouldn't need you to ever land a C-130/17 to support it. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Funny enough... Our current Army operations in OIR have through a combination of limited footprint for forcecap and minimal equipment due to fragmenting out resulted in a lot of bottom level mission command delegation. We actually have air mission commanders being air mission commanders again because the TOC doesn't have a way to get themselves in the decision circle jerk. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

The fact that this platform couldn't be viewed as a strategic asset the way UAS is would grant a lot of protection to theatre/AO commanders to keep and use their assets. AFSOC could undoubtedly get usage out of this as well in the "not a real war" places like SE Asia or Southcom where we can't or don't want to advertise we are around. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Pretty sure you guys have an entire group of "Air Commandos" who do exactly that for a bunch of third world Air Forces around the globe. How sad is it that we can figure out how good a deal this plane is for the Afghans just not for ourselves in the same theatre. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

It's not without historic precedent. The Eagle development was the Air Force baby. Boyd and the LWF program were treated as pariahs by comparison because they were "stealing money" from the real project/need. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

So pretty much exactly the same as the unconditional release.... which usually comes with conditions like not leaving in a timely fashion to get ready for your new job lest your losing command give you a death sentence OER that stops you from leaving all together...

No doubt about it, but that's the other crux of the "get a better jet" argument. A lot of the countries that would be looking at this vs say a bunch of old Blk 30/40 vipers aren't eligible for FMS vipers because of the Leahy amendment. They can still get stuff from DCS or our foreign competitors but would you think going from a 230-250mph training pipeline and experience base straight into an afterburner equipped 4th generation fighter is something those countries could realistically do? I think they'd plant more planes trying to monkey through learning them before they ever even got the chance at any real useful training. Realistically it would be far easier and safer for them to go buy a python or similar missile off the commercial market and figure out how to make it work on their easy to fly cheap to maintain jet. Otherwise they gotta go whole hog with virtually no lead it.... like the Phils are doing with FA-50.

It still beats the option a lot of little Island countries currently have of driving toward the engagement in an Alfa jet or similar and then trying to hit the guy with unguided rockets. I know those on the site used to what we have would be disgusted by the idea of a "fighter" that would have trouble keeping up with an ME-262, but in all seriousness this is an airplane built for countries who are putting stingers on helicopters because they can't competently expect any sort of air defense. So anybody that can bring a missile better do it, because it's the air equivalent to a bunch of barely armed settlers circling wagons to repel the Indians. Any while yes the fighters from big countries with big missiles would eat its lunch it would at least give pause to something like the a Heliborn air assault or paratroop force being put in with a bunch of Hips/Hinds. That's the more likely reality for those nations.

I think people are simplifying this as flip flopping because they have no idea how much we "need" Iran right now. We've got multiple thousands of coalition military in immediate proximity to Shia Militia Groups who take their marching orders from Iran and would love to target US soldiers. We start taking a hard line/pushing back against Iran, or move the Embassy in Israel, we will have green on blues in a whole new way. It makes sense that we would just suck it up for the time being. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

You mean like getting a glass cockpit and modern navigation in what is essentially an airliner so old it's been retired from US carrier service? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

My wife was on Guam for 3 years as a kid when she was in grade school and her brother a middle schooler. They weren't nearly as far behind when they came home as my sister and I were from our remote Italy DOD school. Father-in-Law loved it, and that was pre internet age, but he was also a diver so if that's your thing you ought to be able to have a good time.

Found this entertaining Because screw that bitch and her "it's my turn" mentality. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Did they realize SERE C is a qualification outside a specific service? We don't make ground guys do it again if they have a C qualification. It's a waste of time and school seats. Water survival I get because even if you Dunker Qual you have to do yearly recertification if you do over water ops.

That bill in some form has been put forward every year for something like 20 years and it goes nowhere. It would have happened this year no matter who was elected. And it'll die this year like it always has.

I'm curious if after the inauguration there will be YouTube videos of people watching it and just losing their shit. Kinda like all those post GOT/Walking Dead reaction videos. I could find a lot of time wasting entertainment watching beta males and feminists cry. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

There is a definite statement when we do something no other country can do.... send a bomber capable of carrying a nuclear payload half way across the planet with complete impunity. It's like a very clear "ok... your turn." Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Don't get me wrong I'm not saying it's a good idea. I agree with the draft, but for what it's real purpose is, the 3 days after the big war of annihilation ends and you need bodies to put society back together. I'm not a fan of this "make a draft and it'll stop imperialism" argument the isolationists keep pushing. But I'm saying if they combat that by making less war and more nation building the easy switch is expand the draft to include all those nation building jobs and counter. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Conversely if we expanded civil service beyond a military draft I think we could combat that. I'd imagine the loss of freedoms might have an effect. 20-23 year olds find themselves teaching English to Hadj on some super FOB or running a warehouse full of water bottles for a year of your life would have a real effect on our taste for "nation building."

Up 100-200 depending on rank in the JBLM footprint. My mortgage is finally less than my total BAH. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/california-family-booed-flight-bringing-home-soldier-killed-afghanistan-dad/ Classy... Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Watching all my ultra left college friends on Facebook heads explode has been somewhat enjoyable. It's like karma finally decided to hit them in the mouth for the months on end of smug and conceited dictation they've been doing to everybody about how racist/sexist/unintelligent they are for supporting anyone they didn't. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Age waivers? I know a few guys that could definitely meet these requirements and would love to go fly something other than a Shadow but most are already early 30s but have 10+ years service remaining. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I'm not so much worried about Migs/SU-25s or such rolling up an assembly area. What I'm worried about is exactly what is going on in Ukraine where the Russians are putting UAS direct fire support to work. DE would give us a great way to take those eyes of the targeting cycle out of the picture since so many of our units are less than expeditionary in the true meaning of the word. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk