Clark Griswold

As to a return to the OPs original question on going back to UPT vs SUPT, UPT would be IMO better for the AF overall and would make a less bifurcated and cohesive Rated cadre If SUPT were not already atrophied and going to get worse I would at least keep it versus SUPT 2 point whatever where everyone not tracking fighters gets fornicated with a rusty pipe An idea, why not contract out Phase 3 completely like IFT with AF evaluating the final product? Pay for it thru O&M and only rent not buy. Figure $100k per stud to a contractor for 75 flight hours and 15 simulator hours, classroom instruction 75 million plus costs for TDY but just WAGing it at a per FY thru put of 750 studs, it would probably be around 95 million or so for every thing. Less than fixing these T-1s and dudes get real flying and the money could be found eliminating that which is not actually necessary https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/39945/the-air-force-spent-134m-to-repair-39-hail-damaged-t-1-jet-trainers-its-about-to-retire Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

K-Billy's Super Sounds of the 70s weekend Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Just high on life at the moment Gimme the Shat anytime to make it swanky One more to nerd out on: Remember drunkenness is required to really appreciate these fine selections Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Add these to the list: Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Legit point The mention of their interest in the Gripen E was interesting, surprised we haven’t heard (yet) a PLAAF fighter with an OMS for rapid integration/modification of systems I bagged on the techno novel 2034 but the authors did have one threat right, Chinese cyber capes via embedded malware (hardware & software) delivered or activated by a nondirect broadcast As they make a shit ton of chips, boards, drives, etc... I’m sure they (CCP) haven’t thought of this... Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Yeah but I’ve got hope buried under a lot a cynicism that you, me and most others are not the only ones realizing that blathering away about immutable or irrelevant differences is not in the long run worth it Still holding out hope for a non straight white male heterosexual GO to say to whatever SJW / PC politician or political appointee trying to make them a poster boy for X cause “ f you Im not your toy” As to the original subject of this thread, either this is a moment of uncharacteristic honest assessment from the PLAAF on its performance that slipped out or disinformation https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/defense/2020-02-08/plaaf-senior-pilot-reveals-poor-performance-joint-exercise-rtaf?fbclid=IwAR2vYhx5CUm8PjYjuk9mJoBOysZKYmbTbOmDeh373u1nqdwkE64mLlj6aBM Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

True I should not have put the accusation on them, neoliberal / neoconservative globalists are the culprits It’s shaping up to be western corporate power structures vs Eurasian autocracies fighting proxy wars, high tension stand offs and cold technology / information wars. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

The aftermath... Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Not if we grow a brain and realize if we don't give a fuck about what libtard pussies think and just kill the enemy Starship Troopers (1997) Disable His Hand - YouTube #drunk and honest

What was the facilitator’s reaction to your brazen belief that individuals are allowed to have their own beliefs and that if those beliefs do not affect the mission or unit that it is no one’s business? Like you I would just avoid said hypothetical bigot’s company Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Love the ideas from Hush Kit, Top Gear for aviation The Ultimate What-if: British Aerospace Super Lightning | Hush-Kit

All this Air Force / DoD mid-level leadership virtue signaling bullshit is a gold mine for cheap shot jokes. I am seeing on FB now, O-6s I knew as O-3s spouting the political line to score higher in some apparatchiks list of approved officers for O-7. So this is how the end begins...

Offensive squadron patches are a serious matter in the Peoples Non-Binary Trans-Unicorn Positive Affirmation Air Force. They are often contrary to the ultimate goal of creating the impossible utopia that we will use any means to attempt to achieve for the 690th time.

You went thru SERE, go back to the circle whenever possible, food-water-shelter.

No but, everyone deserves the benefit of the doubt but the electronically documented exchanges are not good. Things can be faked but there comes a preponderance of shit when the voters just move on, too much bullshit. He's not a bad guy and I really hope this is not something that taints an otherwise good tenure where he represented a part of the Republican party I don't ascribe too but respect his honest defense of his wing's beliefs and policy positions.

Not good https://nationalfile.com/opponent-demands-answers-from-kinzinger-for-russian-internship-racy-photo-intimidation-scandal/

2034 - Next WW Just finished the audiobook Do not recommend- 2/5 and that’s generous. Predictable story, weak technical details and essentially a modestly woke wanna be Clancy novel. Scenarios are implausible even for a mil techno thriller and shoddy / jump around, there’s hardly a single time in this book where America doesn’t step on its dick while everyone else for the most part is uncharacteristically awesome at everything. Summary - Americans are complacent and proud to a fault, Chinese are cunning and almost invulnerable, Indians are wiser than everyone and the Iranians not that bad. Russians have a small part in book and are essentially just modestly dangerous rogues. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Agree as to not making an anti-China platform do too much and to riff off your point as to it getting harder to win as we currently and historically envision it then we might want to shift a not losing / them not winning strategy as a good enough / affordable / realistic COA to keep them from thinking that aggression will get them what they want at an acceptable cost & risk Less expensive, fast, long ranged, defensible platforms to launch XX standoff LO weapons that can strike alternatively the aggressing force or his homeland will likely cause authoritarian regimes pause before attempting short range land grabs or quick hit missions to intimidate regional neighbors Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

That perhaps plus a serious look in the mirror moment. I think the CSAF knows this has to happen now before they (China / Russia) try something serious but Congress / large parts of the MIC have developed an unreal case of cognitive dissonance / willful blindness. To get their attention it will have to be dramatic, propose a comprehensive plan for reform, modernization and force structure changes, open to critique and discussion. Give a general concept, then a more tangible outline of what you think the AF should become and then the practical plan to get there, who gets cut and why, who grows and why, what new stuff and why we need it. If after some period of time of working with the SECDEF, SECAF, Congress, etc... you can't get them to move at all, resign in disgust and make it known far and wide why you are resigning. Don't rationalize to yourself you'll be the good guy in secret working from the inside using Jedi mind tricks or some other bullshit to fix the system. Tell them their baby is ugly and that's it. Powerful, public leaders have the ability to do big things when they try and if they don't succeed they usually cause enough damage so that if their successor is also willing to try it, they might succeed. In more practical terms, they are going to have to use Sutton's Law and go where they can get the money and lose capabilities no longer needed. BRAC, divestment of legacy MDSs built to support an Air-Land strategy of warfare, massive personnel and enterprise policy changes, etc.. all have to be proposed if we want the kind of money to build out a new AF.

Super Straight, finally I have an official category LGBT Activists Get Beaten at Their Own Identity Game as the "Super Straight" Movement Gains Momentum – RedState

Good article and although I am not a squid, the Proceedings Podcast is worth a peruse, just listened to this episode and it's relevant to the article and the greater subject of preparation / deterrence of conflict with China: Proceedings Podcast Episode 212: China's Desert Storm Education (usni.org) From the article: On a sober note, Hinote pointed out that the Blue Team force posture tested in the recent war game is still not the one reflected in current Defense Department spending plans. “We’re beginning to understand what kind of U.S. military force it’s going to take to achieve the National Defense Strategy’s goals,” he said. “But that’s not the force we’re planning and building today.” That's true (as to no significant change in AF force structure) and over-arching paradigm for air, space and cyber power into a joint/coalition fight. As there is likely no enormous increase in appropriation likely now or in the near future and it seems we are not well configured for a fight in a theater with the tyranny of distance and the long range/cyber/space capabilities of our foes increasing, what are we willing to give up to become that force that can deter/win this fight? Or more broadly beyond more of this iron and less of this type, as an institution are we willing to become that force? - How many of us (manned vehicle aviators) would be willing to re-train to Cyber, Space or RPA if the AF determined that growing that enterprise / capability was what the Joint Team required? - As of now, the AF is fighter-centric in terms of force structure, cultural hierarchy and operational planning . A fighter is a medium ranged at best platform (without AR but that carries risk & cost) and probably not the best platform for deterring a massive Naval and Amphibious assault with our current basing/dispersal operations capability. Are we willing to become an AF that changes from that? To an X-centric force, probably quite different in terms of force structure than now. Just rhetorical questions to spark discussion but I have seen this idea that we as an AF and the US military are generally ill prepared to fight China / Russia, so what are we as military professionals saying to policy makers, politicians and the general public that will change that? Are we willing to say, cut my MDS because it's no longer relevant for the Big Fight(s)? Change the AF radically even though it will kill X jobs in Congressman X's district? I feel like this guy is staring at us from history looking for a leader in the AF to break from the herd and say that which may be personally and professionally damaging but must be said.

Same

Potentially as my WAG being on the low / bottom end of the spectrum but methinks still affordable if done with a focus on what it is you want out of the program: flight training to develop general aviation knowledge, situational awareness, flight experience and esprit de corps. @bfargin said what I should have said in my post on COAs for this, that it is focused on the spry and young not the old and crusty (like me). I think most single seat communities differentiate experienced and inexperienced at 500 hours in type and heavy communities vary but I think you could apply a generic 750 hours total time if looking for a way to focus limited resources on those most likely to need the training this program(s) could offer. Personally, I think sortie count is a better indicator of experience level but 6 of one half dozen of another. I would leave room for pilots returning from non-flying duty, if they haven't flown in two years or so, no mater if they have already gotten their allotted PETs or are by hours excluded from the Companion Trainer, they would get some extra air time. $500 seems low for the Texan, my reference is a bit old (2013) but when you roll everything into a per flight hour cost, $2200 seems more likely. Costly Flight Hours | TIME.com While the AF could afford that (a T-6II based CT program) but with likely significant disruption to other programs, I would want a CT to be relatively simple, safe, capable and cheap. No autopilot, no ejection seat, probably not turbine powered and likely fixed gear. Basically an aerobatic aircraft with modern civilian glass. Nothing MILSPEC as it would cost three times as much, deliver less, always have problems with funky work-arounds and be 10 years behind what every other aircraft not owned by the DoD has. Not because pilots in the AF are idiots but because the gov acquisition process is idiotic. The CFIs and MX personnel could be IMAs / Reservists / Guard, likely pricier than Civilians but just an idea or possibly a Golden Apple tour to seal the deal and get a good one to commit to a career. Overall, I think the PET COA is more feasible, it's just money and paperwork, not executed under the stern gaze of the Bobs vs the queep monster a CT program would likely mutate into, shoe clerks gonna shoe clerk, they would make it yet another PITA. Still, I love planes and this would make an excellent CT platform: Super Decathlon | American Champion Aircraft