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Currently, there is no air force in the world that will match the US. In fact, I'd be hard-pressed to see a combination of aircraft that can match up. The US A

Currently, there is no air force in the world that will match the US. In fact, I'd be hard-pressed to see a combination of aircraft that can match up. The US Air Force is the largest one in the world. The second largest? The US Army. 4th largest? US Navy. I think the USMC is #7 or so. That doesn't mean the US will have air supremacy in every situation or even air superiority, but it's unlikely to be close to even for long, if it ever is.

HelloNurse 3y ago
None of that airplanes, except perhaps a few very secret ones, is going to fight in Ukraine. As other comments explain, the important point is what air defense weapons can be sent.
- ameister14 3y ago
  That's not the point - if the United States is actively taking part in a war, which it is definitely not currently in Ukraine, we will have air superiority.
  - deepsun 3y ago
    No, US did have air superiority, but not supremacy in Balkan operation.
    - ameister14 3y ago
      Good, I'm glad you agree with me.
      - deepsun 3y ago
        Not really. I meant that Balkan operation was nowhere even close in technological terms to the full-scale Russian invasion, supported by their most advanced air tech. > ... despite a world-class air force’s best effort against a second-rate defense, the United States never gained air supremacy. High-value intelligence platforms such as the E-8 Joint Surveillance and Target Attack Radar System were prohibited from flying over land where their sensors were most useful and instead had to stand off outside the threat region. (c) https://warontherocks.com/2022/03/the-dangerous-allure-of-the-no-fly-zone/ https://warontherocks.com/2022/03/the-dangerous-allure-of-th...
    - greedo 3y ago
      So during the Balkan conflict, Serbia was able to send up fighters to challenge the NATO air fleets? Nope. They had to rely (and did an exceptional job) on their SAM systems and radars.
  - HelloNurse 3y ago
    I'm not doubting USA air superiority in any plausible war, but it doesn't matter because what's needed is vastly different: reinforcing Ukrainian air defense, without sending planes to fight. A military that cannot send stingers to allies, right now, is objectively not very capable; focusing on air superiority might be the best choice after all, but it cannot be an excuse for late stingers.

HelloNurse 3y ago

None of that airplanes, except perhaps a few very secret ones, is going to fight in Ukraine. As other comments explain, the important point is what air defense weapons can be sent.

ameister14 3y ago
That's not the point - if the United States is actively taking part in a war, which it is definitely not currently in Ukraine, we will have air superiority.
- deepsun 3y ago
  No, US did have air superiority, but not supremacy in Balkan operation.
  - ameister14 3y ago
    Good, I'm glad you agree with me.
    - deepsun 3y ago
      Not really. I meant that Balkan operation was nowhere even close in technological terms to the full-scale Russian invasion, supported by their most advanced air tech. > ... despite a world-class air force’s best effort against a second-rate defense, the United States never gained air supremacy. High-value intelligence platforms such as the E-8 Joint Surveillance and Target Attack Radar System were prohibited from flying over land where their sensors were most useful and instead had to stand off outside the threat region. (c) https://warontherocks.com/2022/03/the-dangerous-allure-of-the-no-fly-zone/ https://warontherocks.com/2022/03/the-dangerous-allure-of-th...
  - greedo 3y ago
    So during the Balkan conflict, Serbia was able to send up fighters to challenge the NATO air fleets? Nope. They had to rely (and did an exceptional job) on their SAM systems and radars.
- HelloNurse 3y ago
  I'm not doubting USA air superiority in any plausible war, but it doesn't matter because what's needed is vastly different: reinforcing Ukrainian air defense, without sending planes to fight. A military that cannot send stingers to allies, right now, is objectively not very capable; focusing on air superiority might be the best choice after all, but it cannot be an excuse for late stingers.