Yes the P-3 is for maritime patrol, but of the long range, long loiter type. For immediate fleet tactical ASW support there are LAMPs and S-3 Vikings. If you are just looking to track surface targets there are active and passive sensors used aboard all surface combatants, coupled with aircraft when available.

While a P-3 would probably have no difficulty sinking a "boat," it might have problems with a real surface warship (subs are poor AA platforms, even on the surface).

Tom hits the X ring: "we should not be hasty in surrendering the edge we have in airpower." No truer statement that. We just need to be fiscally responsible in the maintenance of that edge, and not to the detriment of other equally important warfighting capabilities.

Yet the hard corps airpower advocates (oxymoron perhaps) who still adhere to “airpower can win wars” seem to miss the point that they are a tool that is used as required and there are times when they play huge logistics role and a minor combat one. Fortunately we have evolved from the days of “we had to destroy the village in order to save it.” Our military is the most deadly instrument of war ever seen, but we have chosen to try to employ it with rapier dexterity vice a ham-fisted bludgeon.

Not ganging up on the USAF per say (but that is from whence the thread began), this exercise in "saving DoD" could be done with any of the other services (yes even the oft parsimonious Marine Corps could be, witness the Osprey) and no doubt the COCOMs and few selected agencies (DIA, CIA, etc...).

And should I decide to remove my turban and use my handy scimitar to denude my skull of head and androgenic hair, I would eerily look like Tom. But in color.