I’m actually thinking about a much smaller platform than an F or A series craft. Simpler too. This would be an asset that would be there with a 0 minute response time, specifically for spotting, counter fire, and strafing. It could also lase for fast movers coming in when called. They would also have the unique…

Seriously, I question the actual utility of nuclear weapons anymore.

The most effective way to slow and stop a North Korean invasion force is to fly B-52s - Wingtip to wingtip - carpet bombing the DMZ with... turkey sandwiches and beer. Seriously, those guys have been starving for years now. All you have to do to stop them is place a meal right next to their route of march. Plus, they…

I wonder if CAS and CCA would be better served by a whole new drone strategy. Smaller, lighter, cheaper drones that are tasked to individual units... controlled by people within the unit. Something like the Snow Goose with a side mounted M60 and 40mm grenade launcher. Give every unit their own mini AC130, a machine…

How about A-1 Skyraiders instead in 2004 patrolling the skies with Hellfires, 4x20MM cannons, and a long loiter time over our troops?

I do give you complete and total credit for taking down the BRRRRT culture that thrives here - totally true. My pet peeve is the Red October meme that pops up any time Russia is ever mentioned.

And how would they get rid of those piggies?

So what you’re saying that because he is merely and an aficionado, not one of the actual people in the field executing these decisions, he has no commentary value?

Nice, nice... Hot dog vendor... sure... hot dog vendors can’t do anything can they? So whom should we trust then. You? Why?

TL, unfortunately I still read. You didn’t really get to a good point until paragraph “And the simple fact is ...” where you point out the USAF model of “we’ll throw a lot of planes at it because we have them” That’s crap. The US has certain strengths, and certain weaknesses in it’s forces. Our weakness is reliance on…

Why would you need a carrier there when you have a TON of NATO land bases all over the area?

So here we have a weapon that is perfect for going after soft targets. We are looking to replace it with a weapon that doesn’t have the unintended side effect of laying down and unmarked minefield. (on a sidenote: 15% to 20% bomblet failure? SERIOUSLY!?! Do hand grenades fail at that rate?). The Cast Ductile Iron Bomb…

That picture made me wonder just WHAT THE HOLY LOVECRAFTIAN HELL WASHED UP ON THE BEACH IN GUAM!?!

I’m actually surprised no one has started (yet) a program of attrition against high value targets like Rivet Joint, or against the Bear and Backfire. Sure, giving the pilot of the opposing aircraft an air show with your nimble fighter is one thing...

I was disappointed that there was no video, image, or diagram of how this new technology works. I’ve seen lots of picture of cluster bombs (your piece on the smart cluster munition was superb), but I don’t really have an understanding of how a Ductile Iron casing could even approach the lethality of a trunk full of…

So let me get this straight... India, our friend, is getting copies of one near state competitors Stealth technology - the T-50...Pakistan, our friend, is getting copies of the OTHER near state competitors Stealth technology - the J-31.

You are right, they wouldn’t be giving out a month of advance notice... they would be giving out MONTHS of advance notice. they would have to, since they have no actual experience of amphibious assault. We did D-Day. We did Inchon. We even did and armoured feint amphibious assault as part of Desert Storm. Our Marines…

IIRC, during their last “war”, or potential war... the US was exasperated at BOTH of them, and resorted to giving them both highly detailed satellite imagery and coordinates of real military targets SPECIFICALLY so each side would not target eachothers cities with nuclear weapons. At this point, each side could see…

The only way the US would not be able to stop a Chinese invasion of Taiwan would be if the invasion troops were INVITED IN. It’s a fairly simple thing to pop ships laden with troops that by their very nature HAVE to come within missile range.

You know, one of the most interesting tidbits I saw in a collection of Edward Snowden quotes from interviews was this: “China is not our enemy”. In the context of his broader comment, this was not a throwaway line. This was pointed, but never broadened.