via Flight Global. Please go there to read the whole thing!
"I would have to refurbish the [F-15] and [F-16 fleets] and the legacy hardware I have today. I also have a very small fleet of tremendously capable airplanes in the F-22s. I would push to buy more of those," Hostage told the AFA. If the F-35 were to be culled off in the wake of the sequester, the USAF would need 225 more Raptors, Hostage says.I don't think that many in the Pentagon (as indicated by this comment by General Hostage) realize the situation that they're faced with.
The current administration is in FAVOR of huge, what were once undreamed of cuts in defense.
Exhibit number one for that fact? Sending Hagel to head the Pentagon! I often blame McCain for being a senile angry old man but he's spot on when he questions whether Hagel is worthy of the position.
Hagel is a dove at best. Anti-military at worst. It would be like putting an old fashioned oil baron in charge of the EPA. The baron would be effective in the job but not in the manner intended.
But what is troubling to me is the fact that this has even been war gamed.
I believe that the option of killing the F-35 has actually been floated before the Joint Chiefs.
If true then that indicates that the depth of cuts will be much deeper than even I feared they could be. We could see several programs killed and money diverted to support other "needs" (make that social programs...especially Obamacare which I truly believe will be in serious trouble when finally rolled out).
The Pentagon is about to get dragged into an alley and beaten like a rag doll. What's worse is no one sees it coming.
