StoleIt

That begs to question...are the Russians: A) Incompetent at navigation B) Knowingly violating a sovereign boarder C) Profit?

An F-16E or an F-15SA costs something like 80-90% as much as an F-35 does...why does this make sense? Sounds like too many people are listening to Sprey...

How the hell has wearing blues once a week become a "tradition?"

I wish my autopilot worked 96.9% of the time...

Northrop beats out Lockheed/Boeing. https://www.defensenews.com/story/defense/2015/10/27/northrop-grumman-wins-usaf-bomber-contract/74661394/

People ask him for his opinion and he gives it, can't fault him for that. I am talking to a freshman cadet right now that is asking me questions about AD. I honestly don't know how I will answer the inevitable, "should I join/be a pilot?" A year ago at my previous assignment, I would have said yes. Currently, I am not as confident. I can't imagine the morale improving any time soon either...

I don't see this will stop cadets from gunning for pilot slots. I doubt it would have stopped me given my low level of knowledge and high level of blue kool aid. And, sadly, this will be a decent band-aid stop gap for future manning. It's a lot easier to make, for all intents and purposes, 20 year slaves rather than fix retention properly by eliminating queep and making the job more appealing for those already in.

Does the F-35 have a significantly different seat than all the other pointy nosed jets?

It's time to pound some Cunth...

Russian Caspian Flotilla launches missiles at targets in Syria

Just saw The Martian also. I liked it! Well worth it. (Didn't read the book).

Never heard of that site. But...thanks?

After Russians and Iranians, the Chinese also have stepped in to help the Syrian regime under President Assad. China reportedly has dispatched troops to Syria. https://www.ibtimes.co.in/chinese-troops-join-russian-marines-syria-soon-says-report-648246 Russia, Iran, Iraq & Syria setting up ‘joint information center’ to coordinate anti-ISIS operationshttps://www.rt.com/news/316592-russia-syria-islamic-state/ So Russia, Iran, Iraq, Syria, and China are all working together. Meanwhile...the US trained/backed "moderate" rebels immediately defected to ISIS along with their military equipment.

Doesn't 16-01 start UPT in like...a week? Granted I know it will take them 16-19 weeks before they would head to Altus but dang, I just can't see that timeline working out.

That sounds nice...

Or the Su-34...seems like the platypus or the frogger would have been a better fit, but eh...Russian logic.

In that scenario, why not just buy an upgraded F-15 (ie: F-15SA). It would probably be easier for the USAF to swallow (STS) than to buy Super Hornets.

This.

Police are on the search for a group of thugs/anarchists who surrounded and attacked an Air Force pilot in Olympia, Washington. The service member has not been identified but it has been confirmed that he is stationed at Joint Base Lewis-McChord. The pilot came under attack when he was riding his motorcycle through downtown Olympia on Saturday night. According to the police the protestors surrounded him when they noticed that the pilot had two Confederate flags on the back of his motorcycle. After ripping the flags from the back of his bike they beat him with a bat and smashed a glass bottle over his head. They also attempted to knock his motorcycle to the ground while spraying mace in his eyes. According to Fox, witness that tried to help the pilot were also sprayed in the face with mace. The pilot is suffered severe eye irritation and a bruised shoulder. Police are referring to the attackers as a “local hate group” because their actions and message was violence and hatred. It has also been reported that the group carried and anti-police banner during their protest. The Olympia Police Department is currently looking for more information surrounding the incident. Source: https://popularmilitary.com/anti-police-thugs-attack-air-force-pilot-with-mace-and-baseball-bats/ 2nd Source: Also mentioned on JQPublic.

Damn. Was it a military or civilian demo?

Agreed. Crushing a dude in front of his family, friends, and peers isn't cool. It's not like he wanted an F-22 and got an F-16 or a C-17 and got an E-8 and he/she made a scene. It's squashing their dream of flying. Giving him a heads up a day before so he can have some composure is the right thing to do IMO.

That's all great that you declared it a spy device, but is there a legal precedence for shooting at someone spying on you? It's fairly well documented that you can't discharge your weapon into the air in most situations...and destroying someones private property is another thing that's generally illegal. (and I completely agree that the drone deserved to get shot down (if story is accurate) but that doesn't mean it's legal)