21–30 of 218 posts
If you are going to create an expensive, outdated when first created machine in an effort to create jobs... why not create jobs and solve an actual need / problem at the same time.
If you are going to create an expensive, outdated when first created machine in an effort to create jobs... why not create jobs and solve an actual need / problem at the same time.
At what point does the ideal approach just become building a LOT of cheap drones that carry minimal ordnance?
Earlier quoted context omitted.
[flagged]
The navy was in a conflict with illiterate goat herders?
The Zumwalt class started out as a requirement from the armed forces committee in congress for a replacement for the old battleship Naval Gunfire Support mission. That is sit a bit off the coast and go boom with big guns to help the boots on the ground.
Just one wee little problem with that: anti ship missiles have made that a suicide mission since approximately the late 60s. And no, all the stealth in the world wasn't going to make a difference in that when a simple counter battery radar would spot you, not to mention other means.
The Navy tried to get out of it but couldn't, so we got stuck building 3 rather useless boats and then canceling the program. Some neat naval design and engineering went into them which may be useful in the future, but it wasn't worth it for the sticker price at all.
The people created this fuster cluck are the same folks that kept the battleships operational or semi operational post WW2 when it was clear they were obsolete, at non trivial cost to taxpayers.
i don't know the future of air fighter but this news remind me of Elon Musk saying the fighter jet era is gone. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZKJ-uS55mhM
I'm far from an expert but given the timeliness and complexity of 5th generation fighters I'm sceptical this could be operational by 2035 unless there have already been significant work or it's more of an iterative generation.
If you are going to create an expensive, outdated when first created machine in an effort to create jobs... why not create jobs and solve an actual need / problem at the same time.
I think all aspects of doing things that private enterprises or free market economy cannot simply afford should be maintained. From how nuclear weapons work to sending probes to Venus to smashing protons. The brain power needs to be fed with regular annual maintenance. It shouldn't be a partisan circus. This is an actual need / problem. Sure, the feeding frenzy can get the MIC to show the dark side of capitalism, let's not throw the baby out with the bath water.
Also Defense is a diplomacy business: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Defense_pact trading it for soft power, coercion, economic benefit, regional peace, etc.