Clark Griswold

We should / should’ve developed the 23 into the Regional Bomber concept to complement the 21

J-36 Cylon, so shall it be

I’m not saying it will be 100% reshoring of the supply chains, that it will be magical, that it will be environmentally perfect… what I am saying that staying with the status quo is strategically awful. Strategically being composed of multiple factors considering not just which country in the insane globalized economy is willing to warp, cheat, subsidize and exploit their workers, the environment, lie and subvert naive nations who for ridiculous reasons think that in a world run by fallen humans there is a truly free market. Reshoring, tariffs and other national policies are not perfect but necessary. Our tech boom / economic boom of the 90s to 00s was a sugar high fueled by cheap labor, delusions that other people just wanted to get along / make money and a devious government exploiting open societies.

https://theaviationist.com/2025/04/09/scaled-composites-proteus-and-sierra-nellis/

Intended effect

Catalina with 4 engines https://www.autoevolution.com/news/bird-innovator-an-executive-flying-boat-based-on-a-wwii-icon-with-two-extra-engines-196514.html https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bird_Innovator

I’ll take robust manufacturing and environmental responsibility for $1000 Alex… Tech has wildly improved since the beginning of the offshoring, as we reshore and if we hasten the process with tariffs to adjust for countries manufacturing with less environmental regard than us, I’m confident that we would make goods affordably and about 69x more environmentally friendly than X country that doesn’t GAF about pollution or their workers.

Not sure if the Caldius B-350 would count as light but if we are discussing platforms that can do the armed overwatch mission and be relevant for the INDOPACOM theater, bigger seems better sts Payload, fuel and size to accommodate larger stand off weapons, podded sensors, etc… I don’t think it went past the airshow mockup but an aircraft this size is probably where the SOF and MCO communities could meet in the middle and get a common platform for both mission sets, they do overlap. Enough for everyone’s gear to fit, enough power to carry enough to be relevant, enough range to be back from the fight but capable of operating in small fields to support the big fight. As it never flew, it’s just a WAG but a combat radius of 450 NM with probably 2+ hours on station, it easily covers the naval passages south of the PI to Northern Australia, probably 2000 NM ferry range, self deploy but rugged & cheap enough to operate in detachment in AFRICOM for continuous operations there.

Rock version

Another tariff idea I support https://www.19fortyfive.com/2025/04/pollution-tariffs-would-strengthen-donald-trumps-trade-hand/?_gl=1*zjlh13*_ga*MTY4MDYwNjQwNS4xNzQ0NDgxOTY5*_up*MQ..

Institutional bias, pride and the misperception that it detracts from the prestige of the Air Force. Not my opinion but what I think certain GOs think when they see these aircraft. Been listening to this series of pods during my commutes and I would recommend this episode https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1500955155?i=1000702238181 Other episodes I didn’t make it thru but this one was interesting and had comparison and insight on the offerings, Piertrucha didn’t think much of the Scorpion but whatevs. In this pod though they make mention that Goldfien while CSAF didn’t think much of it and paraphrasing from the pod, “Other people fly turboprops not us”. Not my opinion again but that’s what I think the top dogs in the USAF think, that it is beneath us. As to your point of the multitude of missions it (a light platform) could do, no disagreement, my two cents looking at this from the outside for years is that it has to be sold as a family of systems (intentional buzz phrase use) to get attention and serious consideration. Light platform + CCA / UAS + ACE mission / capabilities + Network Warfare + EW capabilities Basically you are cutting off the naysayers by showing it’s not just a cheap way to deliver a Hellfire or SDB to Hilux carrying jihadis but it is that plus these other capes that we see now in the spectrum of conflict(s)… drone killer, weapons truck, sensor node, CCA quarterback, light austere capable mobility platform, etc… Getting several companies to come together and offer it might inspire more interest and confidence in the idea

From the article Exactly how and where the OA-1K might be used in an operational context remains to be seen, especially as the focus of the current Trump administration seems to be much less on Africa and other areas of lower-intensity conflict. This is the conundrum. Can you have a cheap(er) manned platform that has some relevance to supporting the Big Fights but can prosecute the Small Fights on its own? Rhetorical question and I won’t plug the Scorpion for the umpteenth time but this is how to get a light strike bought in numbers.

Just a guess but the requirements were likely set very high / too high for everything they wanted to train for in the T-7, Boeing promised them the moon and stars and here we are… when we could have been recapitalizing… The process could have been fixed too as this contract was awarded years ago when Boeing was really in deep trouble and the DoD may have said unofficially Boeing gets it for strategic defense industry reasons, just a guess on my not in the loop part

https://www.twz.com/air/first-oa-1k-skyraider-ii-handed-over-to-air-force-special-operations-command

Figured so Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

We live in interesting times Chinese Soldiers Captured Fighting Inside Ukraine, Zelensky Claims https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2025/04/08/chinese-soldiers-captured-fighting-inside-ukraine-zelensky-claims/ Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Winning Report: India Wants ‘Equitable Trade Deal,’ Not ‘Confrontation,’ After Trump Tariffs https://www.breitbart.com/asia/2025/04/07/report-india-wants-equitable-trade-deal-not-confrontation-after-trump-tariffs/ Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Tariffs are not the only options, this is just round 1, don’t see this happening but the BAT is an option also https://www.investopedia.com/terms/b/border-adjustment-tax.asp Tariffs are necessary right now as countries like all people all around the world lie, cheat and steal. While not a precise weapon they are getting the message across. I’ll concede that they will initially cause some cost increases in the economy, only means we need more internal deregulation, lower and simpler taxes and policy to encourage reindustrialization. Economic efficiency is not corollary to sound national security. Like insurance, warranties and backup systems, sometimes you pay more than necessary for reasons. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Yup that’s a huge factor. The brass balls of Ukrainian military personnel and civilians who ran towards the aggressors is what we all hope for in our people, how do you gauge the potential for that beyond surveying, personal contact and professional observation is beyond me. Probably someone has meaningful sociological/psychological research into this, probably classified, don’t know. I think that idea, the will to fight, as an aggressor or as a defender, might be an equal concern for both sides. Chinese people travel a good bit, have relatives in the West, interact with Westerners and have relationships with the Taiwanese, they may not be interested in fight. That might be the opinion of the rank and file, also their families, how hard the CCP would go to suppress and intimidate that to prevent mutiny, IDK but probably methinks they are nervous about it. The CCP would rather postpone the invasion than cause internal instability. Taiwan, I think it (the will to fight) would depend on if they see the West dithering after a few days, if we haven’t said screw it we’re in after 72 hours or so, I think despair could set in. That’s a short window but given what the fight is likely to be, we probably have to jump in immediately. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Don’t worry when fighting age males don’t have jobs, sex or a future it’ll all work out peacefully Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Another in the WW3 series, Taiwan focused Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

No shit senator Slotkin: ‘Plenty of Countries’ ‘Are Cheating’ on Trade, ‘Particularly China’ If the establishment pols on both sides had been paying attention, prioritizing America first with due deference to the Rules Based Order and reasonable relations with friendly countries you would not have gotten Trump. Don’t get huffy and pissed that because the people chose somebody who’s “unconventional” who is actually doing what they want.

The globalists, neocons, corporate shills, rootless billionaires loyal to no nation or people hate it then it’s good for America. VDH had good words on this policy with also the question if tariffs are so bad for an economy then why did/do other nations have/had them? MAGA is the voice of the middle, working and professional/entrepreneurial classes saying no more to a trade and economic system that trades our economic position and opportunity so a bunch rich assholes can get some access to an economy for slave labor/no regulations. Then there’s the migration labor issue but that’s another head of the hydra to slay… Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Not a short read but a reasonable idea of what the PLA might have gamed out themselves on what an invasion would look like https://cimsec.org/island-blitz-a-campaign-analysis-of-a-taiwan-takeover-by-the-pla/ The longer the operation takes the longer you have to lose, Russia proved that and the PLA has got to see that from their perspective. Focus on port seizure, short but intense airspace corridor denial, establish naval blockade in the Luzon straight and Northeastern approaches 50/50 at that point Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Yup This time I think we’re close but I have not heard of the things we think would be necessarily happening pre-invasion… Stockpiling hard currency/gold, food, fuel, parts, ammo production surge, information shaping operations, etc… with the drilling and massing of forces necessary for an invasion, a blockade strategy I don’t think would work for them Invasion with port(s) seizure and breakout in 2 weeks would be my objective if I were planning I do think that as Ukraine gets closer to an armistice that the probability of invasion increases, either side needs a partner not at war as a conduit to the economic system they’re now excluded from during their aggression Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk