2028…idiots. The concept/long term plan is fine, but the timing is impossible, assuming anyone gives a shit about not losing significant capabilities for years.

6 hours ago, brabus said:

2028…idiots. The concept/long term plan is fine, but the timing is impossible, assuming anyone gives a shit about not losing significant capabilities for years.

Concur

Unmanned air breathing and space based is the eventual solution but if king for a day I’d like a manned / unmanned team now, RQ- something plus the E-11 or something more ambitious, bigger manned jet maybe with links and active sensors, BACN plus AWACS.

There’s an opportunity to coalesce around one manned platform type to get a lot of what we need, the Global 6500, could be that. BACN, AWACS, Medevac, Tactical Tanker, but I digress….

It’s also the platform the Army is using for it’s HADES jet, this could be one of the few joint platforms that could satisfy two chicks / services at the same time

Two jets at the same time….

Already have an AWACS version

Skies Mag

Bombardier Defense receives firm order for two Global 650...

The Global 6500 aircraft has a top speed of Mach 0.90 and a maximum range of 6,600 nautical miles (12,223 kilometres).

I swear the solutions are out there to so many problems, already done, but our FUBAR acquisitions process as represented here just makes it impossible unless the right districts get the right contracts…

1 hour ago, Clark Griswold said:

...but our FUBAR acquisitions process...

Oh, stop it.

We turned it all around with the resoundingly successful T-7 acquisition.

1 hour ago, HuggyU2 said:

Oh, stop it.

We turned it all around with the resoundingly successful T-7 acquisition.

Yup

One more example of the 6500 already having types for missions we need

https://theaviationist.com/2025/09/30/kai-rokaf-electronic-warfare-aircraft-program/

All the work has been done

https://bombardier.com/en/defense/virtual-showroom

Disclaimer: I own 0.0 shares of Bombardier

Edited Sunday at 01:00 AM4 days by Clark Griswold

12 hours ago, Clark Griswold said:

All the work has been done

And yet we’re still pushing for that massive waste of money E-7. The concept of traditional large, manned C2 platforms has hit zero utility. And I mean it - zero. If there’s still a place for WDs and ABMs, it’s parsed out to other assets for specific scenarios (a couple in the back of a 46, MC-130, G6, etc.)

44 minutes ago, brabus said:

And yet we’re still pushing for that massive waste of money E-7. The concept of traditional large, manned C2 platforms has hit zero utility. And I mean it - zero. If there’s still a place for WDs and ABMs, it’s parsed out to other assets for specific scenarios (a couple in the back of a 46, MC-130, G6, etc.)

Concur

Gulfstream also has a military variants ready if that could grease the skids further (domestic supplier)

https://www.gulfstream.com/en/aircraft/special-missions/

I’m surprised this idea of smaller manned HVAA platforms for C2, EA, ISR, AR, etc… has not taken hold and the AF shifting that way. Unmanned and space based eventually but large cabin sized biz jet based systems are the low risk, capabilities TODAY to get to the next stage.

I might see the need for some manned large (transport category platform) multi mission platforms but for strategic patrol / monitoring missions. But it would need to do it all, active and passive collection, over very long ranges, if it made sense.

Edited Sunday at 02:57 PM4 days by Clark Griswold

AF is planning to order new C-20s...why not strip the gear out of the E-11s and convert them back to passenger configuration?

40 minutes ago, pbar said:

AF is planning to order new C-20s...why not strip the gear out of the E-11s and convert them back to passenger configuration?

Probably too expensive with mods done to them with hours already on the airframe and they might have other plans for them (stored but could be regenerated, foreign military sales/gift, etc…)

The new Compass Call is also a Gulfstream, seems like the AF is consolidating around that company for its business jet based platforms