vodkazvictim
Why save the world, when you can rule it?
So, to control US debt we should throw money at the military?U.S. public debt can be controlled. We can fix our federal budget deficit before U. S. debt gets unwieldy like in Japan.
I suspect the OBOGs issue is a way of keeping on getting development money out of the program but being able to instantly complete it once the buyer gets fed up. Same thing happening with the Eurofighter, which is surely no coincidence as they're from essentially the same company, which is presumably why a USAF air force general refused to say that the F22 was better than the Eurofighter (incidentally, another USAF general claimed the Su27 was superior to the F15).I've only been on 16s, so I can only give you a limited view on some of these things.
The 22 is actually a very, very capable airplane, though a lot of what I here is second hand. Whether it's worth the price tag or not, I don't know. The OBOGS issue is a really strange from my POV, F-16CJ's use an OBOGS system and there have been no events like with the 22 that I've heard of. There are some other issues with weapons compatibility, and its onboard maintenance system. A lot of those issues have since been worked out with the later models, but again the O2 issue remains a mystery, and the Raptor pilots are fairly upset about it.
The Warthogs need to be kept in service for awhile. I dare say it's the perfect CAS plane. The only thing I'd change from the A-10C is maybe look at an engine upgrade to coax a little more speed out of them, as a lot of WWII fighters can out run the thing. It wouldn't be anything drastic, most likely taking a civilian engine type.
I don't think I could say too much on the PAK FA, it's still in the prototype stage. It does look to be on par with the best NATO jets, though. As for the XL, it was supposedly in direct competition with the F-15E for a ground attack aircraft. Obviously, the Strike Eagle won out. FYI, with a GE-129 engine, one of the XL's achieved super-cruise.
That brings me to the F-5, which the AF never really used out side of training operations. The most it was used for was as an aggressor aircraft, which the Navy is still flying them for.
I dare agree with your assessment of the A10, though I was aware of what you said regarding the F16XL (and believe that for that mission a 2 engine aircraft is preferable) and I didn't really see you evaluate the F5 IMHO.
As for Pak Fa, I'm waiting for it to be cancelled like it's predecessors.
Oh I dunno, to my mind that big chaingun, firing air bursting 30MM munition designed for soft targets is just the ticket. If you really wanted to add .50 cal, why not strap one on the edge of each wing and just run an ammo belt the length of the wing? Or even just add a podded 20mm or .50 like they did with the F4 in Vietnam? Or am I just being stupid, as usual?I'd like to see the A10 with a smaller chaingun. We're not facing the possibility of Soviet main battle tanks in the Fulda Gap anymore. A 20mm or even a .50 cal would be a smaller, lighter gun with a bigger ammo payload. Obviously the hardpoints on the wings would remain, and using armor piercing ammo will at least disable armor if it came down to it. With the way things have shaped up, the 30mm is kind of like swatting flies with a shotgun.