keady - admittedly this is politics but it's really about where our fighters
fly. I state that the two mentioned carriers should be placed, one offshore
Formosa and the other proximate to the Ukraine
On Thursday, January 29, 2026 at 04:29:18 PM PST, Robert Ditchey via Mifnet
<[email protected]> wrote:
This stream began as a discussion of the Navy’s future plans for the F/A-XX. I
opine that the real issue lies in the US plan for the aircraft carrier itself.
Let’s have a quick look at history.
In World War II, we had the Battle of Midway, which was a revolutionary battle
between aircraft carriers over the dominance of the ocean scene. The US won,
and after the early battles between aircraft carriers, the US dominated the
Pacific Ocean areas. It was a sea battle. The aircraft carrier won.
In the early 1960’s, the Navy’s carriers were major players in our nuclear
arsenal. No longer.
In the Korean War, our aircraft carriers fought for support of infantry
battles, and for the bombing of land targets such as bridges. There was no
ocean/sea battle. North Korean had some fighter aircraft, but air war was a
side-show. North Korea had no Naval ships to speak of. In reality, we could
easily have fought this air war from land bases, not from the sea.
In Vietnam, carrier-based Navy aircraft engaged in the bombing of
infrastructure (bridges) and in laying bombs on the Ho Chi Minh Trail. There
was negligible “ground support” aircraft involvement, such as when we fought
the Tet Offensive. The use of Navy aircraft carriers to lay bombs on the Ho
Chi Minh Trail was sheer madness. I was there. This was a job for land-based
aircraft and the USAF. To use carriers was insane and extremely wasteful. We
just lost all sense or sanity in Viet Nam. The Navy was mis-used badly.
As for today, why in any common sense are we deploying the USS Ford and to the
Caribbean and the USS Lincoln to the Indian Ocean near Iran? To me, this is
total madness. The USAF can easily reach Venezuela from our airports, and why
would we want to attack Iran now using our carriers? Do we not have an Air
Force? Do we have cruise missiles, etc.? Our carriers are literally the gems
of defense, not toys. Ocean-based aviation is a specialty that is precious.
We need to determine what we want to do with our Navy’s aircraft carriers, as
well as the entire USN fleet. In my opinion, we are uninformed and poorly led
from the top, and we don’t know what to do with what we have. Who in the White
House is an ocean person – nobody. This is a political matter, but also an
intellectual matter. Our Admirals seem to be of little consequence whatsoever
and I am dismayed. Before deciding about the F/A-XX, we need to inform
ourselves about the aircraft carrier. Where are we going?
For myself, I believe that the aircraft carrier is essential. But I have my
own opinion as to what that is true. What matters is far above my own opinion.
The Mifnet??
Bob Ditchey
From: Robert Ditchey via Mifnet <[email protected]>
Sent: Thursday, January 29, 2026 2:35 PM
To: [email protected]
Cc: 'Dan Solon' <[email protected]>; [email protected]
Subject: [Mifnet 🛰 75277] Re: new fighter?
This topic (replacement of ageing metal) has brought to my mind the matter of
what the age of our automobile census might be, and why (or when) we replace
our cars. >From the web:
The average age of automobiles on the road in California is approximately
12 years. This is slightly younger than the national average, which is about
12.6 years, as reported in 2024. While California drivers often keep vehicles
longer, the state's high rate of new car sales, particularly electric vehicles,
helps keep the overall fleet age slightly lower than the national average.
Key Details on California/National Vehicle Age:
- California Average Age: 12 years (as of 2024), according to Auto
Innovators.
- National Average Age: 12.6 years (as of 2024), noted by S&P Global.
- Segment Breakdown: Passenger cars in the US are older, averaging 14.5
years, while light trucks/SUVs are younger, with an average age of 11.9 years,
according to S&P Global.
- Ageing Fleet: The national average vehicle age has been consistently
rising due to higher vehicle prices, causing consumers to keep their cars for
longer, notes S&P Global.
The data shows that, despite high replacement rates, California's, and the
country's,, vehicles are becoming more seasoned, with many on the road for well
over a decade, as highlighted by S&P Global.
Note that the term “age” is described in years, and not miles.
So we must remember that the 12 year number is an average over a very large
number of cars. Some are much older. Some barely a year old. And we might
ask ourselves, why do we replace our car and what measure do we use?
Personally, I am an older person and a low-mileage user of my car. This was
not always so, but it is now. In the present day, I replace my car primarily
on the basis of maintenance cost and warranty limits. In past years, I used
mileage limits that I set on myself. Even earlier, it was just a budget matter.
In the very beginning, as a Navy pilot, I just wanted a really spiffy and new
sports car. If we took a Mifnet survey of why and when we get a new car, , I
guess that we’ll get many different answers.
In the final analysis, cars, airplanes, ships, and all vehicles have time or
life limits. But it is a complicated question.
For a fighter aircraft, maybe what matters is winning the battle. But that is
hugely complicated. It certainly includes the pilot.
Bob Ditchey
From: Robert Ditchey via Mifnet <[email protected]>
Sent: Thursday, January 29, 2026 12:39 PM
To: [email protected]
Cc: 'Dan Solon' <[email protected]>; [email protected]
Subject: [Mifnet 🛰 75276] Re: new fighter?
In my opinion, Joint use design is a disaster. No decent aeronautical engineer
would endorse it.
Bob Ditchey
From: Dan Solon via Mifnet <[email protected]>
Sent: Thursday, January 29, 2026 12:28 PM
To: [email protected]
Cc: Dan Solon <[email protected]>
Subject: [Mifnet 🛰 75274] Re: new fighter?
I am totally unqualified to comment on the tech aspects of this. What I do
know, however, is that previous efforts to develop joint
Air Force/Naval Air fighters (i.e., the F-111 and now the F-35B) have usually
been unsuccessful. Only contrary case I can recall
was the F-4, which I believe started life as a carrier-based aircraft and then
went on to operate "1 if by land and 2 if by sea."
Daniel Solon
With a tip of the tricorne to "The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere."
On Thu, Jan 29, 2026 at 8:21 PM Jack Keady via Mifnet <[email protected]>
wrote:
keady: how do we feel about this? is it that much more advanced than the
expensive F-35?
|
| |
|
U.S. Navy CNO Warns F/A-XX Must Launch Now to Face Future Air Defense Threats
|
| |
|
2026-01-29
|
| |
|
Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Daryl Caudle warns F/A-XX must launch now as
Iran and other adversaries field advanced air defenses, ending the era of
flying with impunity. The U.S. Navy’s next-generation carrier-based fighter,
known as F/A-XX, appears to be still stuck in a limbo, almost a year after
Boeing was selected to start building […]
|
|
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