A Late Rant

[chris_gerrib]

Every once in a while I find myself mentally re-enacting arguments from the past. The last couple of days, I found myself reflecting on Obama's decision to not buy any more F-22 fighters. When the decision was announced several months ago, the Usual Suspects were upset that Obama was betraying America or some such. This got me thinking, and a rant eventually (late, I know - sue me) crystallized. Since it's my blog, you get to read it.

The most plausible near-term threat to the US is a war with China. Now, this site tells me the Chinese have "about 1,300" fighters. That's a lot. However, the US has:

409 F-18s (US Navy)
238 F-18s (US Marine Corps)
685 F-15s (US Air Force)
145 F-22s (as of August 2009)

For a total of 1,477 first-line air superiority fighters, as per wikipedia. If we went to war with China tomorrow, we could trade them fighters one-for-one and still win.

In the mean time, we are actually at war with Iraqi insurgents, the Taliban and Al-Queda. These enemies field a combined total of zero combat aircraft. In fact, these forces are totally at the mercy of an aircraft that would be hard-pressed to defend itself against a Cessna flown by a guy armed with a .45 semi-auto.

Tell me again why we need more F-22s?

Comments

[daveon.livejournal.com]

Not to mention all the OTHER aircraft that have been designed, prototyped and built by allies or in partnership with allies that could also be built if a threat emerged.

Nor to mention that a threat requiring vast over-whelming air superiority isn't likely to emerge from nowhere. You can't design, build and get invisible aircraft into operation. If China is looking like getting the edge, or Russia, or Magicistan, then there will be time to handle it. Just as there would be if it looked like China was getting a navy any time soon.

But, hey, I know people don't like the facts to get in the way of a good bit of paranoia.