4 ms·

All a bit laughable considering Americas current "enemy" drive pickup trucks and shoot AK47's

by boznz 9y ago

philjohn 9y ago
That's the thing with defence spending - with the lead time on resources like this you can't fixate on the current conflict, but need to think decades ahead. It's not beyond the realms of possibility that nations could see themselves in a war for dwindling resources on the planet in the next 30 to 40 years.
- animal531 9y ago
  Fair point. But which would have been better, having one F35 or having 3 F16's for roughly the same price? There's a great (old/free) sci-fi story with the same premise (of which I can't remember the name right now). In it the leading power is engaged in a war which they should win easily, but then they keep inventing all these new and great technologies. However every time they try and implement a new one they give up more ground until in the end they're in a bit of trouble.
  - zimpenfish 9y ago
    That description is ringing vague Asimov bells.
  - mathperson 9y ago
    the legacy fighters are pretty old airframes and I think even the new blocks are going to be outclassed in any seriously contested airspace. the real comparison should not be between the f35 and f16. it should be between the f35 and a different program which isn't a gross hodgepodge of the demands of everyone and their mom. concurrency, one size fits-all-fighter...madness.
  - manwithaplan 9y ago
    [Superiority by Arthur C. Clarke](http://www.mayofamily.com/RLM/txt_Clarke_Superiority.html http://www.mayofamily.com/RLM/txt_Clarke_Superiority.html) > We were defeated by one thing only - by the inferior science of our enemies.
    - foxyv 9y ago
      A disturbingly perfect allegory...
    - boznz 9y ago
      >The Analyzer contained just short of a million vacuum tubes and needed a team of five hundred technicians to maintain and operate it Sounds almost like an F-35 :-)
    - animal531 9y ago
      Awesome, thanks. I'll try and remember that it was by Arthur C. Clarke for next time.
bachaco 9y ago
Wars are not only won by dropping missiles but by intimidating the enemy.

All a bit laughable considering Americas current "enemy" drive pickup trucks and shoot AK47's

by boznz 9y ago

All a bit laughable considering Americas current "enemy" drive pickup trucks and shoot AK47's

That's the thing with defence spending - with the lead time on resources like this you can't fixate on the current conflict, but need to think decades ahead. It's not beyond the realms of possibility that nations could see themselves in a war for dwindling resources on the planet in the next 30 to 40 years.

animal531 9y ago
Fair point. But which would have been better, having one F35 or having 3 F16's for roughly the same price? There's a great (old/free) sci-fi story with the same premise (of which I can't remember the name right now). In it the leading power is engaged in a war which they should win easily, but then they keep inventing all these new and great technologies. However every time they try and implement a new one they give up more ground until in the end they're in a bit of trouble.
- zimpenfish 9y ago
  That description is ringing vague Asimov bells.
- mathperson 9y ago
  the legacy fighters are pretty old airframes and I think even the new blocks are going to be outclassed in any seriously contested airspace. the real comparison should not be between the f35 and f16. it should be between the f35 and a different program which isn't a gross hodgepodge of the demands of everyone and their mom. concurrency, one size fits-all-fighter...madness.
- manwithaplan 9y ago
  [Superiority by Arthur C. Clarke](http://www.mayofamily.com/RLM/txt_Clarke_Superiority.html http://www.mayofamily.com/RLM/txt_Clarke_Superiority.html) > We were defeated by one thing only - by the inferior science of our enemies.
  - foxyv 9y ago
    A disturbingly perfect allegory...
  - boznz 9y ago
    >The Analyzer contained just short of a million vacuum tubes and needed a team of five hundred technicians to maintain and operate it Sounds almost like an F-35 :-)
  - animal531 9y ago
    Awesome, thanks. I'll try and remember that it was by Arthur C. Clarke for next time.

bachaco 9y ago

Wars are not only won by dropping missiles but by intimidating the enemy.