"The Great Train Wreck"

A friend recently sent me a report below about the USAF Chief who says if sequestration happens, ALL Combat Aircraft will be non combat capable by July. This is NOT because of sequestration; this is because of lack of preparation for "The Great Train Wreck," and Obama's $500 Billion in defense cuts. "The Great Train Wreck" was predicted more than a decade ago. It was named thus by a large group of defense analysts that said America needed to consider, that its' current Air Force was almost entirely built in the 1980's under Ronald Reagan.

More than a decade ago, USAF leaders and defense analysts realized, as F-22 Raptor production fell behind, and costs went up, we would face major problems. The F-15 was produced to be America's premier air superiority fighter, and it has done its' job, but pilot training and skill have also been a large part of the success of the F-15 in combat. It is now older than a lot of its' pilots. The USAF was asking for over 700 Raptors when it was picked as the winner of the ATF (Advanced Tactical Fighter) competition over the YF-23. 700 is a lot of aircraft, but more than 1000 F-15s have been produced and flown by the USAF, as well as its' partner in air combat, the F-16 (3000+ produced). We had a huge, capable, highly advanced mixed fighter force, that would guarantee air superiority in a major war. We enjoyed this, with the best example being the destruction of Iraq''s air forces during Desert Storm, when Iraq invaded Kuwait. The USAF cleared the skies of enemy fighters, and the troops and troop support helicopters, bombers, and CAS (close air support) aircraft could operate with impunity.
Sadly, during the Clinton administration, the neglect of military funding (as can be shown by an expenditure of GDP percentage) began. F-22 Raptor production became mired in Congressional dogma, and legislative battles. The pilots of this aircraft believed in and knew the potential of this aircraft to be the most dominant fighter plane ever built, period. Washington said it was too expensive. Why is it, when it comes to the military, cost is always the number one factor on Capital Hill, but they can spend billions (and Obama trillions on his pet projects, parties, golfing, and campaigning even after he won reelection)?

The USAF compromised and said that the minimum number of Raptors needed to win a near peer war (North Korea, Iran, etc, threats with robust air defenses) not to mention China or Russia, was 381 Raptors. President Bush, while dealing with 9/11, two wars, and the regular business of the nation lost his fight to do more for the military in 2006 when the Democrats took over both branches of Congress, effectively making him a lame duck. After the F-35 by Lockheed Martin was selected as the replacement for the F-16, legacy F-18, and Marine Corps Harrier fleet, Bush left further decisions to the next administration.

Enter Obamanation and the end. F-22 production was killed at 187 aircraft, the F-35 has been besieged by Congress, and is frankly, the only game in town now (meaning we have no other option but to build it). Pilots love it, calling it a quantum leap in fighter design and capability. Congress, especially the democrats and John "I served and nobody else ever did" McCain hate it because it is far more expensive now than it should be.

Simply put, the way to make something affordable is to build them in large numbers. As you do, the costs overall from beginning to end decrease, but you don't get there until you have reached ahead into the mass production. Congress failed here as well, by not allowing anyone to buy Raptors or even the "dumbed down" versions. I would have sold them to Israel, Japan, and our closest allies to balance power in unstable regions, and counter emerging threats. This was exactly what happened with the F-22. By the time Raptor production was killed, average cost for the aircraft was down to around $120 million, the most expensive fighter in the world, but not by much, and clearly the BEST fighter in the world. Compare it to Boeing's project, the F-15 Silent Eagle, which is nothing more than an upgraded F-15E, with new systems, and some frontal only RCS (Radar Cross Section) reducing features, as opposed to the Raptors 360 degree RCS (also called stealth, nearly invisible to radar) and infrared signature decreasing features. The Silent Eagle is projected to cost $100 million! It is still a 1970's design upgrade, and not as capable as emerging threats. It doesn't even have thrust vectoring ( developed in the 80's as a way of pointing a jet engine's exhaust nozzles allowing tighter turns, and maneuvers that make a plane an incredible dogfighter, the Russians, and Chinese are incorporating it in their newest designs, and retrofitting older ones)which of course the Raptor does. Beyond visual range, or in a visual dogfight, the F-22 will easily destroy several F-15 Silent Eagles on its' own. How much is our national defense and sovereignty worth. Now F-35 production is behind, threatened with cancellation (numbers reduction is a certainty, despite denials), and each aircraft, which will never have the Raptor's air to air ability, is far more expensive. We have many partner nations working on the F-35 project, including Great Britain, Japan, and others, and the way to bring costs down is to build them in great numbers for ourselves, and keep our ally's well supplied to counter emerging Chinese and Islamic threats.

So now you know what I have known for years, and why I was on here, and everywhere else shouting to the rooftops, if Obama is reelected, it may be the last ever free Presidential election in the US. I have been telling people this was coming for so long, I almost feel insulted that someone from the DoD can finally admit it publicly. Retired Generals from the Air Force have been crowing about this for years, and this is why several Air Force Chiefs pushed for more Raptors. They were denounced, fired, and replaced with more Obama yes men (Good boy, here is your bone). America is on the verge of a military, economic, and social collapse. It may already be too late, and all Obama wants to do is disarm us, cost hundreds of thousands of firearms industry jobs, and let everybody live on welfare while our military disintegrates.

Americans, if you say "I support my troops" and you support the democrats and Obama-- You are a liar or woefully uninformed.

In closing, I would like to say that the F-22 can still be saved. Lockheed Martin has mothballed the entire factory, including the tools and production equipment to build it, in case it ever was needed. Well, it is needed. The problem is, it would cost hundreds of millions to reopen the plant and restart production. That is a tough pill to swallow right now, but if Obama can spend $500 million on an electric car plant (Fisker) that went overseas, and Solyndra can be justified, isn't our very national security more important? If he took 3 or 4 fewer vacations a year he could restart it.

The point is, Obama doesn't care about you, this nation, or anyone other than himself. That is what a narcissist is and does, and that is why he is still campaigning. He wants to be a powerful popular celebrity, not a President leading a nation.

Are you ready for change?

Then fight for your nation. Stand up for the men like Rand Paul, Dr. Ben Carson, and others who speak the truth and stand up to the radical left. Demand Obama's impeachment, demand that our military not be cut, protest, write letters, do whatever it takes to be heard. It is now or never people. Do or die, the nation is in danger because it was put their by bad decisions, and the worst one was ours, because Obama got reelected. This is the result. The consequences of doing the wrong thing and trusting the worst President ever with a second term.

~ Steve J., guest blogger