| Deadone | 09 Apr 2013 4:26 p.m. PST |
Geez, the US military is going the way of the third world: og.recommends 17 Squadrons are to be grounded and a further 12 reduced to basic minimum requirements only. This on top of Navy carrier wing groundings. |
| Mako11 | 09 Apr 2013 5:19 p.m. PST |
Can't comment, since I'd probably be banned for life, if I did. |
 Doms Decals  | 09 Apr 2013 7:10 p.m. PST |
The sequester; cunningly designed to be such an awful array of cuts that neither side could possibly tolerate it, and they'd have to compromise and come up with something better. If anyone ever invents a doomsday machine, please don't let congress play with it…. ;-) |
| Generalstoner49 | 09 Apr 2013 7:18 p.m. PST |
May I ask why we are decreasing the combat readiness of the F-22 Squadrons? I understand the basic principle is cost but shouldn't we be keeping what few planes there are of this type airborne? |
| Mako11 | 09 Apr 2013 8:03 p.m. PST |
Perhaps so they can fix the problem that is killing pilots (not sure if they've figured out that bug yet). |
| Deadone | 09 Apr 2013 9:19 p.m. PST |
Given current threat environment, F-22 isn't necessary. The F-15/-16/-18 backed up by AWACS, SEAD/DEAD assets and other electronic warfare support will absolutely dominate Iranian, Syrian or North Korean air defences. And against China, the bulk of their fleet is still obsolete J-7 (MiG-21 knock offs) and J-8s (enlarged J-7 at best comparable with a Sukhoi Su-15 Flagon (an old Russian airdefence interceptor retired in early 1990s) or at best a MiG-23. Their more advanced Su-27/30/J-11 and J-10 series aircraft are easily handled by above current US combo especially as US would dominate the electronic warfare spectrum. Same applies for Russia. Chinese J-20 and J-31 and Russian PAK FA T-50 stealth fighters are currently prototypes and recent reports shows increasing delays with all of them. |
| GROSSMAN | 10 Apr 2013 6:15 a.m. PST |
Don't worry we have the F-35 coming to the rescue. |
| 15mm and 28mm Fanatik | 10 Apr 2013 10:21 a.m. PST |
The services have discretion in choosing where to cut. They chose to slash O&M budgets which adversely impact training and readiness while flushing our money away on boondoggles like the F-35 and LCS. It's their own fault. Go ahead and stifle me for speaking the 'inconvenient truth.' |
14Bore  | 10 Apr 2013 3:37 p.m. PST |
I Can I go to the Blue Fez now? It would save me from 50 stifles. |
| Charlie 12 | 10 Apr 2013 8:07 p.m. PST |
The DoD can't cut ongoing, contracted and budgeted programs; that's just the hard facts. The only place they can cut in the short term is the discretionary budget (training, maint, etc). You may not like it, but that's the just the way it is (and there's no way that's changing anytime soon). |
 Legion 4 | 11 Apr 2013 4:02 p.m. PST |
The North Koreans and Iran will be glad to hear that … not to mention what's left of AQ and the Taliban … |
| Whitestreak | 11 Apr 2013 8:48 p.m. PST |
In the long run, for any governmental body in the US to simply try to cut off an established contract will cost that body far, far more money than completion of the contract ever would. I've seen similar compaints line "Why don't they stop building XYZ instead of cutting *our* pet project?" without the above fact being in their forethoughts. |
| Mako11 | 11 Apr 2013 11:22 p.m. PST |
"In the long run, for any governmental body in the US to simply try to cut off an established contract will cost that body far, far more money than completion of the contract ever would". Which of course means that is exactly what they will do, for some programs. |
| Deadone | 14 Apr 2013 4:30 p.m. PST |
Problem with continuing modern contracts whilst cutting on human resources is that you actually lose capability. When it comes down to it, it's the quality of the people that matter and not necessarily technological supremacy. Cutting flight hours and grounding squadrons leads to a degradation in human resources. Defence should be about defence of the country and national interests and not contract legalities, profits and employment creation schemes. |
explains step-by-step how he painted 
