Basically yes, I meant when the F/A 22 are fully rolled out and the JSF is also fully rolled out (2007?), because I think the JSF Airforce variant will be replacing the F16s and A-10s as ground support and SEAD operations. So the Airforce still has some transition coming, it’s only just begun. NEllis is for all intents and purposes a training and proving ground, so naturally there would be F/A 22s there. Not sure about Langley, because I was not in the Air Force. As far as I know these planes are not out in combat service, they are only out for training use to get pilots trained and ready. So technically they still aren’t available.
JSF will also replace most of the F18s (except forth Super Hornet), and the F14s as well as the EA-6Bs and the Harrier Jump Jets for the Navy/Marines. Hopefully the Pentagon will come to their senses and allow production of the Commanche to replace the aged Apaches and Cobra gunships. That is an excellent platform that was well designed that seems to be destined for the shelf for reasons unknown (or stupidity on Congress as far as foresight is concerned). People don’t realize how much the military has done with these aging platforms. It’s a wonder we haven’t had more problems.
Talking about our military can be fun but let’s face it nothing you read about will give you the truth about the high tech, covert, military advatage of the USA.:snky:
That’s assuming that you weren’t a part of said military, beta testing units or being involved in joint training sessions with units that are now in full production
At any rate if war ever came between China, it won’t happen for another 5-7 years. Plus this is all speculation. When I was still in, we were gearing up for NK. Iraq wasn’t a focal point, and then they kinda just came out of left field. Shows how much we knew then :shurg:
the F/A 22 will begin to phase out the F-15 as an air dominance platform, and the JSF F-35 will slowly start to phase out the f-16 and A-10, but the A-10 is scheduled to be around for like another 25-30 years or something, so thats not something to be immediatly worried about
what is alarming is the rate at which china is modernizing it’s military
It’s not our planes, or even our long range ICBM’s that they really have to worry about. It’s the nuclear subs that I’m sure are cruising around just off their coast 24/7/365.
It does make a really good case for the ballistic missile defense system. But the threat of nuclear winter did make for a peaceful (and economically profitable for the US) cold war between the US and USSR. I’m not sure if I’d want to trust some of these seriously crazy Asian dictators to be as level headed as the old Ruski’s though.
If the war were to happen tomorrow our subs would be our trump card. If it happens 10 years from now hopefully we’ll have a working and tested missile defense system by then, and that can be our trump card. Only time will tell. I’m not going to lose any sleep over it though.
