Quote:
Originally Posted by xoxoxoBruce
18th & 19th century? Dwight D. Eisenhower?
The Taiban sent the Soviets packing because they advocated exactly what you are, bigger, faster, more complex, weapons systems. That is not the future.
The future is wars of insurgency, where helicopters are more valuable than fighter jets. What we should be building is A-10s, instead piloted missiles.
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Our "Russian" weapons from Egypt, and others from Israel (unmarked), and the Afghani fighters, are the one's who sent the Russians, packing - the Taliban came into power, later.
Watch the movie "Charlie Wilson's War" for the remarkable details of how it happened. Charlie's staff are stunning!
A-10's are great tank killers/infantry supporters, ("it's not a plane, it's a flying 20mm Cannon", is no joke), but very vulnerable to ground fire, and certainly NOT for air to air combat. They'd be "Buffalo'd".
Did you ever hear about the "Buffalo's"? They were older planes on Midway. We sent every one of them to attack the Japanese carriers when they came into range. EVERY SINGLE Buffalo was shot down by the Jap. Zero's, on that ONE mission. They are believed to have shot down ONE Zero, during their fight.**
Same thing in Korea. We had prop planes - and an older jet fighter. North Korea had vastly better mig jets.
If you have better equipt. and training, you'll kick their butt, and win 80% - 90% of your dog fights. If not, you probably won't survive long.
Helicopters were never designed for, and generally can't survive, air to air combat with a fighter jet. They don't even try such a stunt.
It was true at Midway, it was true at the Turkey Shoot (Battle of the Coral Sea), it was true over France and Germany, with the Mustang, it was true in Korea, it was true for all the Israeli wars, in Bosnia, and in Iraq - and it's still true today.
If you have better equipment and training, you will be the hammer, you'll get to do the pounding, and have minimal losses. If you don't, you'll be the nail and get pounded upon . . .
Very few fights wind up "even". You either win or die, pretty much.
<<not for the faint of heart>>
**Three U.S. buffalo pilots were rescued. One was deemed worthy of further interrogation. The other two were shackled to chains, and dropped over the side of the ship, after the normal beatings.
They didn't follow the Geneva Conventions then, and they certainly don't follow them now.
If we want the best outcome for our service sons and daughters, we need to give them the best equipment and training.