In this case it is the remarkable statement by Chief of U.S. Air Force Air Combat Command Gen. Michael Hostage, “If I do not keep that F-22 fleet viable, the F-35 fleet frankly will be irrelevant. The F-35 is not built as an air superiority platform. It needs the F-22.”
It comes as no surprise that
the F-35 was not built as an air superiority platform; it was never advertised
as such. What does come as a surprise is that it is not ‘self-escorting’ as the
F-16, its predecessor in so many Air Forces, has been found to be.
More and more it becomes
obvious that the F-35 is essentially a light strike aircraft. The idea of a
fighter style bomber, protected by the latest technology, is a weapons system
that has been attempted more then once in the past and on occasion found
wanting.
The Fairey Battle was a British single-engine light bomber built
by the Fairey Aviation Company in the late 1930s for the Royal Air Force. The Battle was powered by the same Rolls-Royce Merlin piston
engine as the Spitfire; however the Battle
was weighed down with a three-man crew and a bomb load. Despite being a great
improvement on the aircraft that preceded it, by the time it saw action it was
slow, limited in range and highly vulnerable to both anti-aircraft fire and
fighters.
In the early stages of the
war the Fairey Battle recorded the first RAF aerial victory of the Second World
War but by May 1940 was suffering heavy losses of well over 50% per mission. By
the end of 1940 the Battle
had been withdrawn from combat service and relegated to training units
overseas. For such prewar promise, the Battle
was one of the most disappointing of all RAF aircraft.
In one telling example, on 14
May 1940, in a desperate attempt to stop German forces crossing the Meuse, the RAF
launched an "all-out" attack by all available bombers against the
German bridgehead and pontoon bridges at Sedan.
The light bombers were attacked by swarms of opposing fighters and were
devastated. Out of a strike force which included 63 Battles, 35 were lost.
After these experiences the Battle was withdrawn from
combat and found use in second line duties. Many Battles were stationed in Canada as
trainers in the Commonwealth Air Training Plan. Most were used for bombing and
gunnery training with a small number equipped as target tugs
The Republic F-105 Thunderchief was a supersonic fighter-bomber used by the United States
Air Force. The F-105, considered to be at the cutting edge of technology when
first manufactured, had been optimized for a short nuclear campaign, which lead
to design choices that became evident in a lengthy conventional war, such as a
poor hydraulics layout and fuel tanks that were not self-sealing.
The Mach 2 capable F-105
conducted the majority of strike bombing missions during the early years of the
Vietnam War; it was the only U.S.
aircraft to have been removed from combat due to high loss rates
In one instance, with
parallels to the experience of the Fairy Battle, a total of 45 F-105
Thunderchiefs were sent against the Thanh
Hoa Bridge.
The next day enemy MiGs were encountered during a second run upon the bridge.
At least three F-105s were lost to MiG-17s. The U.S. Air Force was chagrined at
the loss to Korean War-era subsonic jets. The Thanh Hoa Bridge proved resistant to aerial bombing;
in the end multiple missions had to be flown to damage the bridge.
Of the 833 F-105s built nearly 50% were lost in Vietnam.
It is interesting to consider that at one point or another both the Battle and the
Thunderchief were on some kind of shortlist, being considered by the RCAF for
procurement. Thankfully neither aircraft ever served in the front line with the
Canadian Armed Forces. It remains to be seen if contemporary officers of that
service will be as able in their decisions as their predecessors.
An infusion of Super Hornets would ensure the continuation of Canada’s fighter jet capability until the F-35 either proves itself, or fails definitively. It would also provide time to observe the progress of other technologies such as drones, which at some point will render piloted fighter jets obsolete.
Either way, Stephen Harper has to buy some fully
operational fighter jets, and quickly – before the Royal Canadian Air Force
loses its teeth”
Although it is true that
Professor Byers has the advantage of actually knowing what he is talking about,
Canadian Defence Matters has decided that when it finds itself in agreement
with his position it may well be time to quit the field and do a lot of serious
re-thinking.
On that note, we take the
pledge to leave the F-35 and all its entanglements alone, at least until new
follies conspire to make the subject
irresistible once again.
Showing posts with label
F-35.
Best Fighter for Canada
Air Combat Command's
challenge: Buy new or modernize older aircraft
Fairey Battle
Republic F-105 Thunderchief
Canada's F-35 purchase is a costly mistake
Decision time: Canada
needs new fighter jets – now
