Combat Air Forces Restructuring

[AlexTX ret]

What brothers and sisters? I interviewed to a senior director of Sukhoi, 2 years ago and he doubted there was any money to do any development. The S-37 is a flying tested made from spare aircraft that first flew 12 years ago.

In terms of pure capability, F-22 has no peer competitor, that is even close, in China or Russia, or for the foreseeable future, BUT it is not invulnerable.

Now, the Fleet Hours argument is another thing entirely. Basically 10 F-22 flying 100 hours each across 30 days, are always going to be less effective than 100 F-16 flying 10 hours each, across the same time period. Once you say, that the F-16 can fly 15-20 hours each, you suddenly get a very rapid increase in the threat the 10 F-22 face.

Putin is in a jam for now. Russia thought it could expand its prosperity to all facets of its economy. Now it looks like Russia is just a very big petro nation and the price of oil is down. The growth path that he promised last year isn't coming to fruition. So he's doing the time honored Russian tactic of creating a large military presense to shake at the West like a big stick. As of the first part of the year, the Russian govenment added 27 "b"illion US dollar equivalents to the budget. My sources say that is only the top of what is beling spent. Also, that this is only the opening shot. A large military also keeps your complaining populance in line.

So my latest information says that plan for the "few" S 37s are going to be to develop a true air superior fighter and such other aircraft as needed. I don't know if that means rebuilding the Russian airforce to pre-coldwar size or again if that this just a stick to make us concerned.

The problem isn't that the F22 isn't a desireable fighter. It is that between the Government not wanting to spend money of those projects that show promise or any military project for now. And the Russian building fighters that are either directly equal to the F22 or good enough so that we must fund our air superiority force at a greater level. The greatest concern for me is that the F22 isn't the big scary we always had to keep the Russians in line. The Russians aren't afraid of it. If the S 37 isn't the one to do it, then they are willing to do what is necessary to design and build it.

And as you say the F22 isn't invunerable.

Yes, you are right that the F22 supported by F15s and F16s can create a potent combination. However, we've always were the one with the big scary stick to keep the Russians in line. Nevertheless, does the whole US Military have the assets to show our "overwhelming" force abroad. My fear now is that Russian are much more savy to what is needed to pick the fights they want to win and they are building the force to do it. All the while, we stumble around in the dark.

I am not disparaging the present administration. It took time and hard work to get us into the mess we are in now. I just hope we have the leadership to get us out the situation, we find ourselves in now.