Gordon "England currently has the unenviable task of [allocating funds] ... at a time when defense spending is substantially larger in real terms than it has been over much of the past few decades yet--...woefully inadequate to meet the military's recapitalization requirements. ... The result has been to leave the armed forces fighting today's wars with yesterday's weapons. ... To some extent, this travesty is being obscured by the nature of today's wars. Counterinsurgency operations place a premium on different weaponry and tactics than would conflicts with what are now euphemisitically called 'peer' or 'near-peer' competitors. ... In fact, most in uniform appreciate that countries like Russia and China are demonstrating a determination to field militaries comparable to and capable of inflicting great harm on the best of our armed forces. Worse, they are both proliferating advanced weapons systems deisgned for that purpose to others who wish us ill. ... [T]his country should field whenever possible decisively superior military equipment. A case in point is the Air Force's F-22 Raptor. ... The necessity for such a course of action is all the clearer in the wake of an ominous discovery concerning the U.S. inventory of existing front-line air-superiority aircraft: Every one of the nation's 440 F-15Ds have been grounded in recent weeks after one of these twenty-five year-old planes broke up in flight ", Frank Gaffney at http://www.frontpagemagazine.com/, 28 December.
Amazing. We spend $600 billion in Iraq to pacify a two-bit country instead of rebuilding our "inventory" of advanced equipment should we ever get in a war with a real adversary.
Amazing. We spend $600 billion in Iraq to pacify a two-bit country instead of rebuilding our "inventory" of advanced equipment should we ever get in a war with a real adversary.
8 comments:
Infantry is still the Queen of Battle,and our Infantry lacks a completely reliable Battle Rifle in and adequate caliber.The minimum is 6mm,and the swedish 6.5mm would be an excellent choice.yes the M16 platform has been improved,and is superbly accurate WHEN IT WORKS.The M9 pistol has a similar problem.Pistol calibers of less than .40 with nonexpanding bullets do not stop opponents reliably.We need better Mortars,the Hummer is NOT a satisfactory Fighting Vehicle.We need real air superiority fighters and we need first rate Air Support craft as well.The WARTHOG is a wonderful airplane that should never have gone out of production.yes we need Hitech gizmos,but we need the basics FIRST.When we send our children out to fight they need the basics.Too many will come home dead and crippled anyway,but lets give them a chance...
Why the US Army didn't neck the 7.62MM Nato to 6.5 MM and put a 120 grain bullet in it, I'll never know. I agree about: mortars, the Hummer and the Warthog. I can only complain. Our bombers are B-52s. The last model, the B-52H, was made in 1962, 45 years ago! Most B-52 pilots are under 45. We need improved artillery. Do we have anything like the G-5, a 35-mile range, 210MM artillery piece? No, we use aircraft as artillery. Where is our 600-ship Navy? I could go on and on. Our "tactics" in say Iraq, are questionable. I would not have Marines and GIs fight "house-to-house". What does the Defense Department think Iraq is? The Russians invading Berlin in 1945? What we do to our GIs and Marines is disgraceful.
Tom:
Based on your interest in military affairs, you might read Armchair General magazine, available at www.armchairgeneral.com. Read, learn, be concerned. Do any of our presidential candidates even mention military affairs as a campaign issue? What's happened to this country since 1960?
Thank you IA,I grew up visiting relatives and later friends in VA hospitals,and have had an interest in Military Affairs since the time I thought uncle would send me on a free tour of SE asia.Didn't happen,but I have seen the cost paid by people i cared for deeply.A 6.5-08 is a fine long range cartridge for deer,but not ideal for an assault rifle cartridge,do take a look at the swede cartridge,it is a superb design.
Tom:
We are splitting hairs. Wikipedia says the 260 Remington, civilian 6.5/.308 has a 2,890 MV with a 120 grain bullet, the 6.5X55, 2,812. Enough on this. Seriously, Americans lack of interest in foreign policy and military affairs is shocking. If the Army wanted, it could adopt the 7x57, first available in 1893!
IA the 6.5x55 was phased out several years ago.the new cartridge has a slightly lower MV(I recall a 125 grain bullet at 2600 fps)but is much shorter and has a better design to maximize accuracy.a shorter and lighter cartridge with a lighter bullet saves a lot of weight,and a lot of materials,as well as allowing a lighter weapon.I purchased a 6.5x55 rifle for $95 some years ago that shoots 3/4 inch 5 shot groups at 100 yards with military ammo.I happily surprised,to say the least.
Tom Stone:
I stand corrected.
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