US Military News, Reports, Data, etc.

The JSF project seems to have been a disaster for a long time, see AW&ST. Redesigning F-22 for use from aircraft carriers is unlikely to result in a useful aircraft. So limiting the project to F-35A and -C and giving the Marines another aircraft is probably the best solution. My favorite is not really something derived from Super-Tucano but a well designed Westland Wyvern look alike, now with a good fuel system ( The 127 aircraft built killed 13 pilots, mostly by the engine cutting out when catapulted ). You can use two engines driving co-axial propellers, thus giving the aircraft a huge range at modest speed.

In the same Aviation Week mentioned above I find another article, ,
from which I quote

Now what? In August, it seemed as if the U.S. Congress might finally be coming to its senses, putting together an agreement to force itself to reduce the massive U.S. budget deficit. But at the first opportunity for success, a bipartisan panel created to save lawmakers from themselves bolted, leaving the defense industry holding the bag.

Last week’s failure by the so-called Super Committee to find at least $1.2 trillion in deficit reduction means that the Pentagon’s budget will automatically begin to be slashed by $600 billion over 10 years starting in January 2013. But the committee’s failure will begin reverberating across the industry almost immediately—possibly taking out the nation’s biggest weapon system—the Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF).

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I don't think there would be any "alternative" to the F-35 program no matter what the press says. The US had already invested so much and came so far to just "cut back" on the program. Any cut backs or delay would only make it costs more in the long run.

If this had started back in 2000 we might have been able too but with so much invested at this point it's a no go. the only way I could see it would be opening of so many programs for nitch fillers that congress would have a conniption fit en mass.
The Usaf would have too start buying F16E and F16f's Retrofit kits for the F15E too F15SE, rebuilds of the F15C/d too Scilent types or F22A's. cooking up a real A10 replacement, the 2018 bomber would be given one hell of a boost in priority ( then we will here the cost over runs on that) .
The Navy would have the easiest time I think they would by FA 18's and start work on Some kind of "Silent Hornet".
Marines Would need harriers like they just got and then some. start on some kind of massive new buys Likely including Super hornets, and other craft. It would be a total mess and the costs would make the F35 look like a steal.
about the only parts they might be viable would be the F15SE's, Silent hornets and maybe I hope work on a true A10 replacement worthy of the name.

Here's an interesting read to get a better glance of future defense spending.

Equation said:

Here's an interesting read to get a better glance of future defense spending.

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man! when you put things in perspective the US defense budget alone is more than twice the entire GDP of Denmark, which by no means is a poor country or 100 times the entire GDP of Laos or 1000 times the entire GDP of Granada LOL!

part of the reason the Cold war ended was the US spent some thing like 30% of our avrage GDP every year on defense well the Russians had too point just about everything they had too it just too keep up.

TerraN_EmpirE said:

part of the reason the Cold war ended was the US spent some thing like 30% of our avrage GDP every year on defense well the Russians had too point just about everything they had too it just too keep up.

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That's definitely alot. I also heard somewhere in the 9% of GDP at the peak of the Cold War.

Equation said:

Here's an interesting read to get a better glance of future defense spending.

Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!

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The politicians don't mind contradicting the Constitution. As irresponsible as ever.

delft said:

The politicians don't mind contradicting the Constitution. As irresponsible as ever.

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delft, during the US Civil War all Confederate(rebel) soldiers lost their citizenship. Nothing so drastic is taking place these days. Many of the Confederate soldiers citizenship was restored.

An enemy combatant is an enemey combatant no matter his/her citizenship