Air National Guard Critical Fighter Shortage
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- Опубліковано 17 тра 2024
- The ANG needs more airframes to fill the fighter jet void.
Every Monday at 8PM ET, Mover (F-16, F/A-18, T-38, 737, helicopter pilot, author, cop, and wanna be race car driver) and Gonky (F/A-18, T-38, A320, dirt bike racer, author, and awesome dad) discuss everything from aviation to racing to life and anything in between.
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We are short on pilots, so if we get short on airframes, everything works out number-wise, right?😉😛😄
Our politicians are idiots!!!!!
After a retired AF fighter guy. 3000 fighter hours, several combat tours including 6 months in Iraq, this problem has been accelerating when the defense budget gets pillaged every year to buy more voters with another handout. Spot on about Reserve-Guard cost effectiveness. I deployed five times as much in the Reserve vs Active Duty. Our planes were always ready to go when the Active duty had a hard time getting a few to go. We should be doing more “resto-mods” like the F-15EX vs putting all of our future on the F-35
F-15EX costs more than an F-35A.
F-15EX costs about the same as F-35 to acquire in real money spent now, not mythical future cost quotes by manufacturers. F-15EX also costs much less to operate now because it costs less to operate than F-15E which already costs less to operate than F-35. Acquire 1000 F-15EX for the ANG and 1000 F-35 for the USAF.
@@uwekonnigsstaddt524 and Occasional Cortex is trying to gaslight us saying it's all children and women lol. Every single time a Democrat is put in charge they ruin everything. Why people keep voting for them to drive society further into the ground is beyond me.
"Where is all the money going?" is a great question. Audit the DOD!
Billions to the Ukraine? Just a thought.
😉
the AFNG AFRES needs F-16Vs, they should buy like 200-250s before the line shuts down, the NGAD is not even there and the Navy wants to shut down the F-18 SH line in 2026.
Totally agree it’s crazy why we’re are getting rid of our most capable 4th gen fighters when we should be buying more right now!
Happy #ArmedForcesDay to all the brave men in women who serve in the Air Force, Army, Navy, Marines, and Coast Guard! You make our nation proud! 🇺🇸
I agree with all this, and as an old AF vet I want a fat, happy, fully funded, well supplies Air Force. One thing though hangs over all this, the National Debt. We spend too much and it's getting worse not better. Now I dont have the answer, but an answer has to be found.
The OR ANG has been flying a version of a single seat F-15 for 35 years in the previous 35 years they flew the F-4C, F-102, F-89, F-86. In the 60's 70's 80's you flew alot more had more purpose (cold war) less red tape in short the good old days really were better not just a romanticization of the past.
34 Trillion in debt says it all
Eisenhower warned us about the Military Industrial complex
Can you guys do a show on peoples experiences with the VA?
Great show gentlemen
When I was in the Army in the early 90s , we hardly trained, we did total bull crap like picking weeds in the back 40 or sweeping the motorpool for hours
Not a pilot, I was an AH-1 mechanic. Hired for a spot, given a bonus for it, as they were all permanently grounded for my guard unit. We never got more birds in 6 years, never sent the majority of the unit back to training for something else. The money was always taken for something else. I left because I was tired of spending 6 years doing nothing. No way I was be willing to reenlist for that
I wish I had known about the Guard when I got in.
Brac 2005 is what killed fighters in the gaurd. Look at all the units that lost jets. North Dakota, Springfield IL Springfield Ohio, Terre Haute, Syracuse, Otis, Battle Creek, Ft Smith, Willow Grove, New Mexico, Ellington, Great Falls and to a point Richmond. And now look at the units flying a-10s and block 30s. What's going to happen to them. Even the units getting block 40s. They are old and wore out. The gaurd and reserves are in hurts.
So true! They’re all being turned into 9 SQs and who knows about the 9’s future in a peer conflict. I got a feeling they’ll be as useful as an A-10 against real IADS.
Right on Target Racer. Some Units like the Maryland and Montana Air Guard had multiple transitions. Add in the C-27J and C-21As. BRAC 2005 was a joke on our Air Defense
We need to start funding our own country instead of bailing the world out. Like a professional welfare recipient, these other countries need to stand on their own instead of receiving a lifetime of someone elses money.
Funding our own country can still bail out allies by gifting them our surplus equipment and expired munitions while we modernize our own military.
@@stupidburp, that's where most of the Ukraine aid money has been going, dumping M113 "death traps" on them while using the money to buy the new AMPVs, giving old HIMARs munitions while getting new ones, ect. We have so much surplus trash that costs us millions a year to store that we will NEVER use, might as well offload it to someone who can put it to good use.
This is the opposite of the Summertime Soldier and Sunshine Patriot phenomenon. When there is no conflict to occupy warriors, this is the opportunity for units and leaders to achieve those marginally greater levels of readiness and skill. It's an opportunity for Soldiers to cross train on the weapon systems in sister units.
When the Roman legions weren't pacifying rebelling provinces, they were constructing roads, city walls, and aqueducts. Are there any civil infrastructure projects bored units could be working on?
Do we need to start more wars? Maybe something closer to home, say Venezuela or Haiti? Maybe bring the drug cartels down a notch or two.
This is so frustrating! I’ve just graduated college with a Bachelors that I spent more than 3 years working towards and the only reason I went to college was to get my degree so I can go do ANG. First, all the political persecution and woke bullshit started and and that was discouraging because the military is supposed to be a neutral area where anyone and everyone can be a part to serve their county and do amazing things like fly aircraft and helicopters, but now this is adding onto that and I just don’t know how they can keep this nonsense going and feign ignorance as to why people aren’t joining anymore! And I think Casmo really hit it on the head at 8:00 talking about this dog and pony show where they think patriotism is enough, while us young people who grew up dreaming of serving in the military are looking at it now and going, “well what’s the point cause thats a lot of give for not much take”. And even now that’s a hard thing for them to push cause the military has become this overly sensitive cesspool of self righteous BS that feels the need to tread over certain topics while coming down hard on others because of politics is ridiculous. And then to spend so much money on foreign aid that we can’t cover our own needs here at home, military, government services, homelessness etc…. It’s just so frustrating that I don’t really know what to do anymore. As much as I want to fly fighter jets, it’s starting to feel like a dark rabbit hole that I should be avoiding.
Same story MONEY and how its spent. You may need X number but in my opinion it better to have less than X and they fully trained, maintain, flying hours. While a 50 F-35 are nice 500 F-16 and F-15 might be better. It Vodoo to get it right. I was in the AIR GUARD in the 80s, I spent 95% of time painting the shop not touching engines. During the week I was fixing airplanes for an airline guess which job gave me feeling of doing a mission that needed.
My issue right now is the mission and purpose for sure. I want to go do things, I don't want to be caught up in the peacetime red tape.
That’s a big part of the problem. People want to go fly and have fun, but not the management portion of the job. There needs to be as much effective training on management as there is on flying. That’s why “we can’t have nice things”.
@@no_regerts5176 I agree, management is needed and that's why there are academies/schools/courses for enlisted and officers alike. However, I feel during these times of peace, certain non-issues start to become issues. Crap that I don't want to do that is additional to my job. I want to be the very best at my job; not the dude who volunteered 100 hours this year, won 57 awards, went on a TDY to some conference that accomplished nothing, and is lastly just mediocre at my job. I do agree with being a more rounded person, but leadership and the culture (at least in the Air Force) has taken it to extremes that end up degrade peoples abilities in their primary AFSC. I see it all the time as I interact with multiple AFSC's on a daily basis.
My ANG unit hosted a NATO forward air controller exercise. We had a pair of French Mirages there to participate. I was talking to the French aircrew one day and they mentioned that after pilots are qualified as pilots, they have two career paths.
One was a leadership path, where they were they were trained to move into senior leadership (Colonel and above). They would fly enough to do the job, but also pick up staff assignments.
On the other career path, pilots were expected to perfect their skills. The pay off was they were limited in maximum promotion, and the promotions came much slower. Also, if I remember correctly, they had a maximum length of service, after which they would have to retire.
I always thought that this is a system that the USAF and ANG should use. I know a few pilots who would have been happy to do 20 and punch out as a major only having to worry about being a pilot. And this is also true for many maintainers.
With recruiting and retention problems, perhaps this should be something the AF and ANG should consider.
So basically a warrant officer?
@@RW-zn8vy That maybe the answer for pilots.
But in the French Air Force, they were officers, like others.
@@RW-zn8vy you only have to look at us in the Army to see that it’s the same shit, different name. A lot of WOs end up having to do far more duties and leader roles as well bc most Army Os will punch out after realizing they were tricked into going to flight school only to barely fly themselves.
Many other militaries are like that. Not everyone wants, or should be, a JCS Chairman.
@@EntertaningAmerica an officer is an officer after all.
Order 1000 F-15EX for the ANG. They are well suited to the air policing and interception role. About the same cost to acquire and significantly cheaper to operate than F-35s which are better suited for forward deployment close to potential adversaries. Order 1000 F-35A for the USAF and complement them with 1000 F-15EX for the ANG.
Difficult. A F15ex goes for 125 million each with combat package options.
A F35 goes for 80 million each, and that includes the full combat package.
And the cost per hour to run a F15ex is the same as a F35.
And, a F15ex can't enter a contested airspace anyway. So, it not clear if more F15's makes sense.
@@Albertkallal For the US, both are actually about 85-90 million USD based on true purchase costs of aircraft only. That is despite F-35 having huge economies of scale and F-15EX only in low rate production. Operating costs for F-15EX are less than half that for F-35. F-15EX is now only slightly more expensive to operate than F-16 or F-18.
Add on features and support contracts will bring up the prices for all aircraft, but more so for stealth aircraft because of additional support requirements for them. Don't just take lobbyist promises at face value. They play fast and loose with the numbers. The real costs are well known if you dig down in official public documents in the US and other countries. For example, F-15EX in full combat configuration were quoted at less than 90 million USD equivalent each for a buy volume of 114 for India. India has cheaper labor but has more costs for building up supply networks and gets the international price which is slightly higher than domestic US price.
F-35 has similar pricing that favors US purchases. Only the early project partners are able to get access to them at that price, and that is because they contributed some development funds to hold that status.
F-15EX would dominate in contested airspace. It is one of the most effective long range strike platforms available, destroying ground based air defenses with large volume strikes more effectively than a medium range low volume strike from a stealthy platform. Volume is the primary method of overwhelming air defenses. Somewhat stealthy missiles and decoys and electronic warfare also helps - all of which the F-15EX is well suited for.
Against likely fighter adversaries such as Flanker family aircraft, the F-15EX would have a significant advantage against all of them because of the size and sophistication of the radar array, the advanced supporting systems, and the very large weapons capacity. Agility is also much better than legacy F-15s which had a perfect air to air record anyways.
And it is foolish to operate that airplane, with all of its' potential, as a single seater only.
Thank you for using the 104th FS in the thumbnail. They don't get enough attention.
We're actually getting the F-35 starting next year. Unless something changes.
If they have a shortage, I haven't noticed. Still have flights of 2 that go over my house two to three times a day every single day. I see them no matter where I go for work too even down in CT. If Barnes has a shortage of F-15C, it isn't stopping them from getting flight hours.
Well said Gonkey!
500 Fighter Airframes is what was retired to save money in the decable of BRAC 2005. The Guard, Reserves and the Marine Corps and Navy Reserve kept people who loved the job in the system. Rumsfeld and his bunch axed a bunch of units, wasted money leading up to BRAC 2005, spent millions of bases knowing full well they were going to shut those bases down and still got wastful programs like the LCS, the KC-46 debacle and the sillines with the C-27J.
The operational tempo is unsustainable. I was avionics on Super Hornets and one month at sea my shop burned through several million dollars trying to keep aircraft able to fly in country. It’s expensive to maintain expensive aircraft
Many would probably argue that we are doing what's good for the country by moving parts of production to various different states because of jobs.
There is such a misconception of how the Guard gets equipment. They don’t get hand me downs. When we were fielding the initial Apache, they got brand new aircraft. Same today, there were no hand me down longbow Apaches or E Model Apaches. Every state got brand new aircraft. They did get some used Apaches when we started fielding D model Apaches but that was short lived. The Georgia Army National Guard for M-1 tanks before the active duty units stationed at FT Stewart, GA. I’m not sure why there is such misunderstanding about the Guard and how they get equipment.
It depends. With the exception of the F-35, most Air Force Reserve and Guard units have traditionally been flying jets that were previously on active duty.
I guess I was speaking mainly about the Army National
guard. I have a lot of experience training them for initial fielding of AH-64’s and all of the upgrades of software and weapons. They get fielded throughout the fielding plan that includes both active and Guard. Same goes for software and weapons upgrades as they are trained during the upgrade process and most are upgraded before all Active units are. Always depends on training cycles of the units. I should have specified Army Guard. Thank you for the videos!
They should not have the same MTOE. Moving towards that was part of the problem because they really are best suited for different focuses in missions most of the time. Give more search and rescue, disaster response, military police, coastal defense, air defense, and air policing specific equipment and missions to the guard. Let the regulars focus more on forward deployment missions and equipment. Guard will still be activated to support war operations but could fill specific functions as attachments to regular forces instead of trying to copy entire large units.
They get hand me downs all the time. I'm a F15 crew chief with 125th FW. We get planes from England occasionally as well as other locations.
The Pentagon gets absurd funding every single year. The Congress appropriates more than the President requests, and the President requests more than Pentagon requests. Where is all this money going? All I can assume beyond mere corruption, is that military technology is getting so expensive that the US cannot continue to field a force of its current size. One thing I can say for certain is that the bureaucracy is ridiculously bloated. Too many generals
Bring back and upgrade the F-106!
Most got shot up as targets or scrapped. They would need complete overhaul and replacement parts to use new tech anyway.
Well, one should not join to shoot stuff. One should join the armed forces to train and be ready to shoot stuff. A subtle but significant difference. The other thing that is causing a significant downfall in equipment is the exorbitant amount of money it takes to buy the F-35. Does the USAF, USN, and USMC need stealth fighters? Yeah, they do. But in every squadrons? I do not think so. Once air dominance is achieved there is no need (reduced need). The time is very similar to the 1970's where there is a huge need for a cheaper solution that one can field loads off throughout the country (F-16's back then). But with nothing in the pipeline it would take another decade to come up with something unless the T-7 or FA-50 or alike platform could do the trick.
Radical idea:
Shift the entire UPT/BFF, and FTU mission to the Guard--this effectively eliminates the dreaded FAIP, and redirects all that Guard experience to the IP mission.
Also the CAF needs more blended squadrons. This would require an increase in PAA and manpower allocation across all AFSCs, especially on the enlisted side. Having reservists looking for man-days available to backfill absences created by PME, leave, etc would be hugely helpful.
For the pilot side of the house, you guys are going to have to stage a protest or a sit-in or something to stop the queep--maybe a letter writing campaign to Congress.
I was blessed with mostly excellent DO's and commanders during my career and after DS/DS every single one would lose leave every year while working 70 hours a week.
The AF's answer to burying its aviators in queep is to throw money at the problem instead of taking a hard look at the time burden all these queepy requirements put on the force--it's the straw loaded camel, or more accurately a few thousand camels asking themselves if flying jets is worth the straws anymore. The underlying question is why has this problem gone unaddressed these last 30 years.
This, in itself, is a serious indictment of the Air Staff.
The USAF Generals in charged for decades refused buying attrition replacement aircraft. As is the Eagle and Viper. For decades. They wanted an all stealth force. They painted the air force into a corner. The outcome is ordering the F-15EX. Because the F-35 was supposed to be in full production. But it’s a decade later than promised.
one word! 1 Trillion
Jeez, it sounds like the Jimmy Carter years all over again.
9:40 - Yeah. Even though the cold war over when I was in, the military still had some of that mentality. I felt that the U.S public started to lose faith in our military's integrity while I was in. It's a trend that isn't limited to just the military and (I fear) a trend that will continue.
It most likely will continue up until a conflict happens and everyone in the US wakes up but by that time there will be a consequence.
One of the times I wish I was younger, smarter, and didn't have medical issues haha.
Seems to be a problem more specific to the AFNG. I have not seen anything but full Companys of rotary wing and getting brand new frames off the line in the last 10 years in the NG. Maybes it’s the practicality and lower cost of rotary. Certainly more deployments for these units but the ADSO for flying also keep increasing.
Alot of it is siphoned off to deep black budget projects. A co-worker of mine worked at AF Plant 42 for Northrop during B2 construction and he tells all kinds of things. How money is siphoned from legit projects to deep black projects and subterranean tunnels running underground all over fornthe purpose of moving craft and parts below ground.
Fighter shortage!!! So much stuff that could be brought back into service from AMARC.. Plenty F-16s in storage that could be pressed back into service..
It's extremely frustrating, irritating, and agitating how the A-10, F-15, and some F-16's are being affected. I mean seriously come on now keep them all in, there will be tons of great things they can and will bring to the Squad. One other thing is it would help save a crap ton of stress in regards of keeping pilot's. Ofc there's a lot more that goes into it.
It the battle of production, budget, capabilities, and procurement. Classic tale.
F-15EX expensive.
F-16 not as capable as F-15EX or F-35
F-35 production bottle necks and everyone and there mother wants one.
Personally I would go with the F-15EX because it has good export potential. More production will drive the price down and being a multi purpose large frame makes it viable long term.
Maybe we get some fighter versions of T7's? Or, as I read one time somewhere, and now Sweden is part of Nato, Grippens for ANG?
Gripen for the ANG will never happen, as politics would get in the way.
Gripen could be built in the USA and would be useful for training as aggressors.
There already is a high level of cooperation between the USA and Sweden for both the T7 and the Gripen programs.
F/A-50 or T-50 would have been better. T-7 is already having issues. Meanwhile F/A-50s and T-50s are doing well.
The real answer....?? Look no further than Davis-Monthan. There's "fleets" of F-15/16/4's, out in the dessert, just gathering dust, literally.
Reminds me of the 1,300 dollar reheating coffee mugs. They need to cut the bs protocols for procurement and do what makes sense.
Where's the money???
We want to build 225 NGAD aircraft. That's $68B, for the initial procurement. Then another $14B on its drone support and systems.
Well, that 6th gen aircraft will cost around $310M a piece. So this isn't going to change anytime soon. In fact, look for the Guard to dissappear in the next 50 years. Cause once you relegate aircraft like the F-22, or an F-35, and deal with the costs of upkeep and maintenance; it's pointless if the 6th and 7th gen can deliver.
So we are short of USAF pilots and the ANG has too few planes. Just me but I see a solution
And it’s going to get worse fast if the US enters combat and starts losing airframes.
Could the services loan out their pilots to foreign militaries that operate the same systems?
Lac of newer airframes and limited flying hours is killing RCAF
No fly days are great for maintainers. Onload day is the worst for us because we have to carry all our stuff AND all your stuff below decks
We have had a combat aircraft buying holiday, frankly, since the Reagan Administration.
But we had enough money to spend on the elective wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Wonder what kind of Air Force (and military in general)we would have now if 1/4 the money spent in those wars had instead been invested in new equipment. Just my 2 cents worth.
Maintaining 1, 4, 12, 24 aircraft at a locale requires more or less the same base infrastructure, tools, stores, maintainers, ... . The tools, stores and maintainers for an F-35A being a lot more expensive, and scarce than those of an F-16, unlike the pilots. Fewer bases, airframes, and pilots is inevitable.
For starters, change the FY budget process to a 3-yr rolling process where units have a mechanism to return unused dollars or to request extra - either way without penalty or reward. Next, quit operating on continuing resolution. Provide a fly-only career path. Provide for Guard/Reserve to receive their prorated retirement the day they retire, instead of age 60. Quit pork bills and allow line item veto. Quit spending so much money everywhere else and take care of bizness in the USA.
We're fiscally at the point the USSR was at in 1987/88.
I would love to serve but they won’t take anyone with auto immune issues
Politicians and lobbyists, when public officials become millionaires that tells you all you need to know.
What do they expect though. You give the Guard units old jets, they are going to break a lot. It’s no different than buying a used car. The Blues and the Angels are the only squadrons that should be getting old jets.
Instead of creating Space Force, that money could have help this problem.
I was already a space cadet before the Space Force was created.
Long post but bear with me. This is NOT the sole reason we have low funding..lol, but I want to point this out. One factor IMO, is one corporate giant who is protected by shareholders...and that would be Amazon...hear me out.
About 10-15 years ago, we had some decent funding, lots of tax dollars at work. Amazon has been allowed to spend $2B with a "BEE" of their own profits to pay down their shipping costs PER YEAR, to snuff out the mom and pop stores, then larger businesses, now entire malls.
We used to go out and touch things we want to buy, now we get this from China through Amazon. This is a huge cut in taxes the American people used to hand over to local state gov't.
I get the pandemic, but before that, shops were closing left and right.
Did we go out and buy stuff from China? Sure, but we got out and supported businesses.
Again, I don't think one giant has toppled the pyramid, but it sure has done permanent damage. They are IMO like big pharma now in regards to elitist turning a blind eye.
Open for comments, just a theory.
Probably smarter to be investing in drones
F35 is great until neer-peer warfare negates each other's capabilities and Fat Amy now has to face thrust vectoring Flankers in a dogfight...
Flankers can’t see the 35 though…
Well, when you spend $10,000 for a toilet seat, it's not surprising there's no money left. Here's an idea: Let's ask Ukraine for some if that 200 billion back. Zelensky has enough houses in Florida.
Don't you have hundreds sitting in the desert that could be brought back into service?
Adding F-35s won't help. It has garbage MC rates, not funded for enough spares, not enough TOs for military MX troops, and is overall an expensive mistake-jet.
It’s an extremely capable aircraft and very lethal fighter, more lethal than any 4th gen fighters currently flying. The issue is we can’t buy them fast enough, so it makes to get Block 70s, EXs and F-35s as-well as blood 3 Rhinos.
Ike saw this shit coming over 60 years ago
A trillion here and a trillion there, pretty soon you’re talking real money.
Hahahaha rapid equipping force, I totally forgot about them. I swear to god they gave me (53e crew chief) so much useless garbage.
Bureaucracy freakin sucks
First off, love your show and channels. Second, all your guests seem completely unaware of “Sequester”. 2013-2021. The real impacts started in 2012. Airframes, ships, submarines, training - all forms of readiness were impacted. The impacts of this Tea Party led stupidity will be with us for another 10 years. I lived though this - watching lay offs - critical training a maintenance dropped. Not slowed - dropped. A few years of “good” defense budgets can’t make up for the losses.
It started in 2005 with BRAC2005. Rumsfeld stated he wanted to retire 500 Fighters before 911. Add into that a few C-130 units and wasted money like the C-27J and Squadrons flying multiple jets like Montana and Maryland constantly transitions.
@@calvinlee1813 Don’t disagree - when Rumsfeld announced publicly that all future threats were non-peer/GWOT - I knew we were all screwed. That’s about the time that Russia and PLA upped their investments in anti-US systems. Rumsfeld’s decisions motivated both adversaries to “pour on the coal”.
This stuff impacted not just aircraft and aircrews - but ships and submarines. Kinda hard to take of the deck of an CVN with poor ASW systems.
By 2012 it was obvious
Maybe Ukraine can give us a few hundred billion dollars so we can, you know, defend our own country...just a thought.
🤔
You want the world's largest money laundering machine to do what ????
@@andreim841😂 to give us our money back
The F22 Waptor not Raptor will defend the skies against any threat including UAP's or UFOs and we have already seen that with small unmanned air balloons😂😂😂very impressive. The $$$ being spent is not being used wisely but foolishly and NO PILOT should have to lose their lives due to an old outdate aircraft or a high tech that has never flown overseas. The airshows are where we see these cool planes and in the movies but that is about it😂😂😂.
This Memorial Day like any Memorial day in the past should really have people thinking about some serious setbacks that could have easily been avoided but were not. Hollywood is just that, there to entertain, the Military reminds me of Hollywood, here to entertain the Tax payers who work their butts off to keep the engine running for their families.
Not supporting Ukraine would cost us far more. Ukraine isn't the problem with our military's capability. The problem is our politicians and the military equipment manufacturers.
This seems to occur when a Democrat sits in the White House. I saw many pilots leave during the 8 year Obama Administration.
First
And?
Sssssvvvveeeennnndddd meeeee EHHHHFFFH SIXTEEEEENNNS - Zelensky (probably)
Don’t worry. We are sending money to places like Pakistan for transgender education. So it all works out. Right ??????
If the A10 Rotary Gun is so effective against tanks why are M1 Abrams still using large turrets and not making them more streamline and fitted with the same weapons? One would think that using a Turret (target for a Javelin) and use other weapons.
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As for the jets used in the Navy and Airforce why used Manned aircraft at all anymore. Build something smaller, lighter, has the ability to pull serious G's where a Human Pilot cannot? Come on it is 2024 where are the real impressive aircraft😂😂😂
money shortage.... budgets being continuing resolutions, and tax breaks for the rich (look what the tax rate for the highest earners used to be vs now, budgets based on continuing resolutions on past year's budget, cause republicans blocking new budgets and debt ceilings for what seem forever now.... budget issues are house and senate, and the 2 reasons i stated.