Quote Originally Posted by Sargent View Post
Why assume that in the event of a war we would go back to the F-22? I don't argue with your point that restarting that production line would be difficult and time consuming -- rather, I doubt we'd bother to go back to it all.

The problem with building weapons systems in peace time is that they must take into account many contingencies and have a multitude of capabilities. However, once a war has emerged, the need to have is defined and the required capabilities are narrowed. Thus, I would argue that the aircraft that would be built would be far simpler than what we are building now. I agree that they would not be as simple as WWII aircraft, but likely as relatively simple, given the advancements in production capabilities.

There is a logic to my heresy.

Cheers,
Jill
I think you're overlooking the time to design. That involves years of system analysis, design and terst. The worst aspect of the problem is staffing up to do the work. Engineers who have spent a career in the civilian sector often have difficulty addressing the completely different set of needs and considerations for defense systems. Engineers who have "escaped" the defense sector usually refuse to return. The conflict would likely be over by the time the new aircraft emerged.

On the other hand, if we'd started in 2001 on an aircraft to support COIN ... we'd have found a way to put the A-10 back in production.