by DAVID AXE
Driven by the hard lessons of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, the U.S. armed services are reforming their doctrine and force structure to better prepare for battling long, complex insurgencies. In April, Defense Secretary Robert Gates promised to accelerate the pace of change, when he announced major shifts in the Pentagon’s weapons-procurement plans. “We must re-balance this department’s programs in order to institutionalize and finance our capabilities to fight the wars we are in today and the scenarios we are most likely to face in the years ahead.”
Of all the U.S. military services, the Air Force has arguably been the most reluctant to evolve. While the Army and Marines have added forces tailored for low-intensity warfare and the mission to advise and train foreign militaries, the Air Force has stuck to its Cold War-style wings and squadrons, predominantly equipped with high-tech fighters. In his budget announcements, Gates promised deep cuts to the fighter fleet. During a visit to an air base in Alaska in April, Gates said U.S. capabilities in tactical aircraft are “far superior to that of any potential competitor for at least the next 15 to 20 years.”
Comfortable with this perceived lead, the Pentagon is planning a major shake-up of Air Force organization, to boost the air service’s counter-insurgency (COIN) ability. The biggest changes are still a closely guarded secret, incorporated in the forthcoming 2010 Quadrennial Defense Review. But recent events have offered hints at the shape of the future, COIN Air Force.
Read the rest at Offiziere.ch.
(Photo: Bryan William Jones)
Related:
Congressional Budget Office’s Plans to Save the Air Force
Air Force Turns a Corner
Gates Budgetpalooza: Air Force Loses Altitude
The Day U.S. Air Power Was Saved from Itself
F-22s versus Russia’s Rusting, Ramshackle Air Force
Analysts: Buy Fighters, or Die
Boeing Unveils New “Stealthy” F-15
Getting the Most from Your New F-22
Advocating a Systemic View of Air Superiority
Air Force “going out of business”
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This-war-itis brought to you by Gates et al.
Operations: USELESS DIRT 1 and 2 provide no real defense for the U.S. taxpayer. They do make for a wonderful racket for war profiteers on a fools errand.
[...] Related: Offiziere.ch: the Emerging U.S. Counter-Insurgency Air Force Congressional Budget Office’s Plans to Save the Air Force Air Force Turns a Corner Gates Budgetpalooza: Air Force Loses Altitude The Day U.S. Air Power Was Saved from Itself F-22s versus Russia’s Rusting, Ramshackle Air Force Analysts: Buy Fighters, or Die Boeing Unveils New “Stealthy” F-15 Getting the Most from Your New F-22 Advocating a Systemic View of Air Superiority No Comments so far Leave a comment RSS feed for comments on this post. TrackBack URI Leave a comment Line and paragraph breaks automatic, e-mail address never displayed, HTML allowed: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <code> <em> <i> <strike> <strong> [...]
[...] Related: Raptor Gets Congressional Reprieve Offiziere.ch: the Emerging U.S. Counter-Insurgency Air Force Congressional Budget Office’s Plans to Save the Air Force Air Force Turns a Corner Gates Budgetpalooza: Air Force Loses Altitude The Day U.S. Air Power Was Saved from Itself F-22s versus Russia’s Rusting, Ramshackle Air Force Analysts: Buy Fighters, or Die Boeing Unveils New “Stealthy” F-15 Getting the Most from Your New F-22 No Comments so far Leave a comment RSS feed for comments on this post. TrackBack URI Leave a comment Line and paragraph breaks automatic, e-mail address never displayed, HTML allowed: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <code> <em> <i> <strike> <strong> [...]
[...] Three Generations Leaving aside admittedly-important nuclear, cyber, space, support and Special Operations forces, the present Air Force generation includes around 2,000 modernized, non-stealthy combat aircraft of no fewer than four major types; some 150 new “silver-bullet” F-22s; and two types of armed drones numbering maybe 300. Most of these aircraft were built in the 1980s and currently fly under fatigue restrictions. [...]