A-10 Warthog

[xoxoxoBruce]

The Air Force claims they must dump the A-10 Warthog because of budget cuts so the can dump the $5 Billion savings into that stupid bottomless pit called the F-35A Joint Strike Fighter. They claim they can do the A-10's job with other aircraft.

But last year Congress appropriated money for the A-10 and asked the GAO(Government Accountability Office) to check out the Air Force claims.

Now the GAO says to the Air Force, liar-liar-pants-on-fire.

If you don't think this belongs in "Politics" you're mistaken.

link

[Carruthers]

....stupid bottomless pit called the F-35A Joint Strike Fighter.

What’s Britain’s stake in all this?

Britain has been involved with the JSF programme since the beginning. We invested heavily in the project because we need something to replace the ageing Harrier jump jet on the decks of our new Queen Elizabeth class aircraft carriers. The F-35B has similar hovering and vertical landing capabilities, so we’ve committed to buy at least 48. Remember all that stuff about ‘aircraft carriers without planes’? That refers to the long delay between the QE getting its commission in 2016 or 2017 and the F-35B arriving around 2020.

British companies are also heavily involved. The B-variant’s lifting system, centred around a large fan in the middle of the airframe, is being built by Rolls-Royce. BAE Systems designed, tested, and will build the tail parts of the aircraft – as well as wing-tips for the F-35C and nozzle-bay doors for the B. Altogether some 500 UK companies are involved in the programme, building 15pc of each F35 produced. BAE claims it will support 25,000 British jobs over the next 25 years.

For years, the F-35 has been dogged by cost increases and delays. In 2001 it was slated for full-rate production by 2012; when that year arrived, it slipped to 2019. Meanwhile, in 2010, Pentagon officials said the cost per plane had soared above original projections by 50pc. Two years later the Government Accountability Office blew that out of the water with an apparent 93pc rise. One internal Pentagon report groused: “affordability is no longer embraced as a core pillar.”

Daily Telegraph

Why is it that defence acquisitions never come in on time or on budget?
There is a litany of these projects which have usually ended up being cancelled after years of delay and cost overruns.

The most recent example in the UK was the revamping of the Nimrod maritime patrol aircraft. Essentially, this meant new engines, a more efficient wing and a fully refurbished fuselage.
All manner of expensive development problems brought about the demise of the entire project in 2010.
Since then, then the UK has had no maritime patrol capability and the three ELINT versions of the Nimrod have also not been replaced.

In order to maintain skills, RAF aircrew are flying with the air forces of allies pending the arrival of new aircraft.
So what's to replace the Nimrod five years on? It seems that the RAF is about to order a number of Boeing P-8 Poseidon aircraft and RAF aircrews are flying with the USN on the plane.
ELINT capabilities are to be restored with the purchase of three KC-135R airframes converted to RC-135W Rivet Joint standard.
Although constructed in 1964(!) the aircraft have comparatively low airframe hours and will be substantially refurbished.

Still, it's only money and the hard pressed tax payer will happily hand over wedges of 'folding stuff' to settle the bill.

[xoxoxoBruce]

I've read the Air Force hates the A-10 because it was designed by the Army to support ground troops, while they want to prepare for supersonic dogfights befitting their station. That's not hard to believe.

Now Germany is converting into wildlife sanctuaries, 62 military bases(76,000 acres, 31,000 hectares), which have become available due to restructuring their military. I figured this was former East German facilities, but no, they are mostly in West German forests. Claims of being altruistic to nature instead of selling the properties, but I suspect it's because it's easier to take it back from Bambi than Developers.

Anywho, Germany's not the only European country cutting back on military expenditure. Probably figure NATO will defend them and that means us. So the Pentagon makes a case for bigger budgets and snazzy toys. Then the Military Industrial Complex bullshits everyone by claiming they can build a Swiss-Army-knife plane that will razzle dazzle the bad guys into submission, knowing full well over budget is expected, it's a goddamn tradition. Nobody is punished, and it's, well, we've dumped so many of our eggs in this basket, we have to forge ahead.

I think they should be building a fleet of firefighting aircraft instead.

[tw]

Originally Posted by xoxoxoBruce

Anywho, Germany's not the only European country cutting back on military expenditure. Probably figure NATO will defend them and that means us. So the Pentagon makes a case for bigger budgets and snazzy toys. Then the Military Industrial Complex bullshits everyone by claiming they can build a Swiss-Army-knife plane that will razzle dazzle the bad guys into submission, knowing full well over budget is expected, it's a goddamn tradition. Nobody is punished, and it's, well, we've dumped so many of our eggs in this basket, we have to forge ahead.

It's not just Germany. Britian, once a hardnosed military champion for Europe, is deciding to take a defeatist attitude under Cameron. Britian wants to reduce their military budgets to less than 2% or GDP. Imagine what fears this creates in the Baltic nations, Bulgaria, and Romania.

Of course Greece does not care as long as they can keep increasing their budget deficits to enrich the rich. Problem for them is that American banks are now required to be responsible. So Greece wants free money only to pay the interest on their '180% of GDP' debts. And, of course, also has no interest in their own defense. America will provide.

America is demanding that nations, once told by our wacko extremists that we will defend them, must now provide their own first layer of defense. Countries such as Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Japan are in turmoil because Obama has reversed the extremists rhetoric of 'we will pay for your defense'.

Abe of Japan looked like he would successfully eliminate Article 9 of their constitution so that the Japanese military can work with their neighbors in a NATO-like defense. However even that necessary change now looks unlikely.

Saudi Arabia is blaming Obama for requiring them to take responsiblity for their region. What must eventually happen? Isreal must kill off their extremists (ie Netanyahu). Then work in military alliance with Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Lebanon, Egypt, Tunisa, the Gulf States, Kuwait, and Iraq in another NATO-like structure. Of course, with so many wacko extremists in Israel, that does not appear possible.

All changes necessary for the world to work for the advancement of mankind. Instead we spend a new record amount on the F-22 Raptor that cannot even support ground troops. And now the F-35 will cost even more for the greater glory of ... who is getting rich on these? Clearly not military and engineering types.

[tw]

Originally Posted by Carruthers

Why is it that defence acquisitions never come in on time or on budget?

The answer was proven long ago. The Air Force choose F-15 as their super plane. Meanwhile, General Dynamics decided to let their engineers design a plane, devoid of DoD micromanagement, just to see what they could create. They let the innovators do the design.

Instead of expensive swing wings, innovators used super-critical morphining wings.

What resulted was the F-16 Falcon. This plane, for 1/3rd the cost, is equal to the F-15. Superior in some aspects. When I last heard, its record in military conflicts was 99-0. Because it was designed by people who comes from where the work gets done. And not by other who only understand political and cost control management.

AMD was another example. AMD processors were clearly inferior to anything from Intel. AMD bought an Asia microprocessor design company. Then issued a decree. Nobody in top management could oversee or even vist design labs. As a result, AMDs processors in that period were superior to Intel's Pentium 4s.

Well, eventually the micromanaging bean counter types get their nose into operations. And so, when high-K materials were essential for the next generation processors, AMD could not take the risk. People who do not come from where the work gets done destroy product lines. Simply view every GM and Chrysler product to see same.

Management must come from where the work gets done. And focus on a strategic objective. The A-10 Warthog was a perfect example. It was designed by a West German general to do what the American Air Force (and Patton) proved as essential for winning wars. This plane did not even have cruise control. Therefore it is a best plane in the US Air Force. Every other plane only exists to support the most important US Air Force plane - the A-10. Because the A-10 was designed by people who identified a mission. Who came from where the work gets done. Who stuck to the strategic objective. And who were not subverted by micromanagers from political and business school circles.

Number of planes made defective by those political and business school types include the F-111, B-1, B-2, F-18, and F-22 Raptor. Planes designed without interference from the micromangers include SR-71, U-2, F-5 Phantom, F-14 Tomcat, and of course a plane that Air Force generals hate - A-10 Warthog. This answer has been repeatedly demonstrated in history.