12xu2a3x3
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Posts posted by 12xu2a3x3
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14 minutes ago, hindsight2020 said:
You're not new, you know this song and dance already. They have a retention self-created "problem" due to crap QOL post-UFT ADSC and people becoming older heads of household. By proxy that becomes a production problem, because they decided to fill the gaps with new accessions instead of addressing the original self-created problem, full stop.
The real problem for them is that they also don't have the political capital to make undergraduate pilot training (an enterprise already scoffed at as scutwork by many within the combat coded echelons, ACC/11Fs in particular) a capitalization priority, but the Pharaoh demands more brick.
Boeing being a malicious MIC grifter doesn't help matters on that effort. This thing should have been COTS solved 5 years ago (and it would have, both COTS solutions were plug and play and operational for DECADES).
At any rate, in the absence of political capital, all you can do is kabuki dance. So in comes the sophistry: "CRAFT""VR""UPT NEXT""Innovate!". Then the secondary effort to strawman objective critics of the obvious, as anachronistic malcontents that are getting in the way of progress (that's yours truly and company btw).
That's how you get the current status quo. An enterprise dead set in fixing a retention problem they created, by digging themselves into a production problem they can't control, via diluting the quality control of the product and insist you don't dare say publicly they are. Then wash their hands when the core competency and loss rate of the grey jets become too public for the senior management in the DC swamp to stomach. Since this COA exceeds the median VML cycle, it's plausibly deniable.
None of this is conjecture, it's my lived experience since oh say, fiscal '18? Through all the jokes, the meme witchhunts on instagram, the non-judicial punishments, and all the banter on here about the leadership changes you highlight, they have been the most emphatic about never tolerating the utterance that these SGTO evolutions are a dilution of quality. Most RegAF just doesn't have that corporate memory because they PCS too frequently. But Pepperdige Farms (AFRC) remembers.
The all-contractor wet dream they've always had is also DOA, because Congress won't let them touch the pork earmarked for the aforementioned localities.
So we're stuck in this morass, and more young guys will end up dead for it, before somebody finally tells HAF to KIO and addresses the capitalization of this enterprise with the gravitas it deserves.
tell em king
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take some time to reflect throughout. you'll be amazed at what you variously do and don't know at different times. try not to become cynical early, there's plenty of time for that. upt is a dick kick, but it can be really fucking fun as well, try not to loose sight of that.
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my body was broken from fixing fighters, now i'm flying heavies and i'm 100% healed, even my breath is better
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2 minutes ago, Clark Griswold said:
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.
have been trying to finish a paper about this for the longest time
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14 hours ago, di1630 said:
Please expand. Not sure if I’m going to argue for or against you yet.lol
I think an argument can be made that, while there were obviously multi-role tactical aircraft before Desert Storm, the draw down following it (and the Cold War) also created the brain drain from the de-specialization that went along with multi-role's ascendance. The Wild Weasel community for example, lost their EWOs and the AN/APR-47 in the F-4G for single seat vipers with HTS. Allied Force is a pretty good example of how this was not really optimal. The Tac Recce community didn't fair any better, their mission was more or less obliterated. The only vestige of this capability was the TARS pod, also for the F-16. This was and i think technically still is a mission that was more or less dumped on the guard since they had basically sun-downed the RF-4C mission and the block 25/30s that carry it were making their way to the ANG. The TARS system as you might recall was deployed in OIF but it's inadequacy was I feel pretty confidant stating, a major driver for the rapid acquisition of the MC-12Ws.
Of note as well is the TR-1A/U-2Rs (pretty sure they weren't the S yet) and RF-4Cs turned out to be WILDLY insufficient for theater requirements was back in ODS, so much so that we begged the Australians to send their RF-111Cs which did not happen. So, we didn't really have the juice to cover major combat ops then. Does the RQ-170 make up the difference since then? Not gonna speculate on here but i guess that's a lot of what it comes down to. However, the idea of have those sensors, but like updated in the cockpit, real time and in the link with dudes in the jet...seems like an idea worth revisiting.
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18 hours ago, Springer said:
And some of these had Side Looking Radar (SLAR)
it's criminal what was done to the tac recce mission
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that has to be texas raiders
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we used to have jets for this that weren't biz jets
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there's one community that already does most of that alone...
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11 hours ago, filthy_liar said:
I spent some unwanted time at Eskan Village in Saudi. Got to travel the country. My opinion: overall shithole. Arrogant incompetent assholes. Saw things I've never seen before: 18 wheelers laying sideways on the interstate with a billion coke cans strewn across all 8 lanes, dude driving 75mph with a camel in the back of a pickup truck, the Saudi sweep, etc. Driving skills aside, interacting with them, they were arrogant assholes who sucked at whatever they did. I mean they are real assholes. Going into the RSAF headquarters they treated you like you were laden with explosives, denied every overflight request going to OEF, denied an IFE 2 ship of dark grays to land in their territory, and generally treated me and everyone else that was not Saudi like shit.
I don't understand how/why we gave them a pass for 9/11. It definitely wasn't for the oil. They were scared shitless of us not buying their oil, every conversation about overflights or maintenance on F-15s or AWACs devolved into an oil discussion. As an old head trying to clean up 9/11, why didn't we do anything about Saudi? Wasn't the vast proportion of terrorist attacks on American soil traced back to Saudis?
Thee Bitter Lake
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5 hours ago, Prosuper said:
They probably fly the jet without the low observable paint to save money, when they do it most likely goes into the paint hanger for a week to correct that. We do the same with ours. Come out of major inspections then fly it to get the cobwebs out of it, then to paint hangar for the special coatings then green it up for real world taskings.
...seems like now might be when they would want to do that. i have never worked fifth gen, i will take your word for it. you think this jet is just like coming out of cat status or something?
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18 hours ago, ClearedHot said:
Recent chat about the Russians being reluctant to employ the SU-57 in Ukraine. It is reported that they just took delivery a few more bringing their total to 12.
Interesting photos reportedly first person from an SU-57. If these images are real then it is obvious there airplane are far more rudimentary and FAR less stealthy than the F-22 and F-35. Uneven seams and what appears to be standard metal screws.
putting my coveralls back on for a second and observing those screws look kinda fried and that leading edge looks beat to shit, i wonder if it's just cause they have so few and are flying them a lot or if maybe they're broke all the time
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58 minutes ago, filthy_liar said:
Have you guys in the CAF experienced positive results from the 8's and 9's in your organization? My experience was that if they never showed up to work at all a better decision would've been made that day. That's from the squadron all the way up to the MAJCOM. I spent a 3rd of my career on Army bases and while there were some worthless E-9s, some of them were pretty damn helpful at accomplishing the mission. I personally never met one E-8 or E-9 in the AF whose pay fairly equated to what they contributed.
Not questioning the MAF or support folks because an immediate flaming about how valuable senior NCOs are would ensue. I saw it at SOS. And at ACSC. A long time ago. The question is for CAF pilots/aircrew.
no lol
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1 hour ago, SurelySerious said:
I mean I assume since most got sucked to staffs, ACC flesh peddlers are sitting like Monty Burns about it.they took who they could but most aren't gate one complete and are experiencing what i would describe as "life in age of diminishing rated expectations"
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2 hours ago, ATIS said:
He would be the first one to endorse pilot/NFO (WSO/CSO/whatever you want to call them in the USAF) up front like we had in the Navy
don't tell anyone there are 150+ 12R panel navigators that are about to have no job and are stuck in ACC
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On 9/5/2022 at 4:54 PM, nsplayr said:
UTFSF:
this is going to summon Toro
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On 8/27/2022 at 11:40 AM, Blue said:
We keep littering the globe with advanced man-portable anti-aircraft missiles, we're not going to like the result.
hi, I'm Johnny Knoxville and this is flood Ukraine with heavy weapons for the next fifty years
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On 7/18/2022 at 6:17 AM, WoAce said:
Has an 11R (recon/tanker follow-on)
11R Tanker?
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On 11/7/2017 at 1:25 AM, Springer said:
RF-4C
1. Ops tempo: Outstanding. Best kept secret. Basically a flying club. As a 1Lt it's your airplane with great responsibility; "All we ask is bring it back in one piece." Flying is mostly low level single ship to where ever YOU and your WSO decide to go that day. Not flying, review your film from previous day, do a tour in the RSU, perhaps a little studying in the vault, shelf check at the BX. TDY's and deployments minimal and considered a good deal. AAR training every couple of months. Night AAR is always scheduled with a full moon. If stationed in Germany always save a little fuel for the fur ball with whomever is trolling along the Rhine.
2. LIfestyle/family: Could not be better. Home every day by 5. No working weekends. If stationed in Germany most have a rental Swiss chalet for the winter skiing months.
3. Community morale: Excellent. Surprising amount of fellow pilots UPT DG's. Some turned down fighters to fly Recce. Everyone works and pulls together.
4. Advancement & Future of Airframe: Terrible, once Recce always Recce according to MPC although I managed a 4 yr OA-37 assignment to DM. (another flying club). NO future dedicated manned Recce airframes.
5. Preferred PCS locations: Zweibrucken, Alconbury, Bergstrom.
Oh crap, just got up from a nap. Dreaming it was 1977 and not 2017! Sorry guys, you missed a great time in the AF. 10 years AD then off to a legacy airline.
woke up thinking about this incredible post the other day, had to RT for old times sake
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On 7/21/2022 at 3:05 PM, LiquidSky said:
Wedgie: Not great capes. Old. Still going to take 4-5 years to hit the production line per reports despite being an existing design.
a bit off topic and not disagreeing at all with your main premise but
1. wouldn't characterize the current capes that way, future is vague to say the least
2. beats constant E-3 IFEs
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57 minutes ago, SocialD said:
One of the great things about being in the Guard, is not living anywhere near an MTF...not to mention all the other negatives of being on an AD base. For those looking to get out soon, add this to the long list of reasons why you shouldn't just hit the easy button and join the Reserve squadron on the AD base you're currently based.
it's not always rosy at the little guard bases, sometime leadership thinks they can get away with shit because big air force can't see
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alas i was not
Boeing to build NGAD Will build F-47
in General Discussion
Posted
Next Generation Alibi Delivery