It’s been an interesting couple of days for Air Force news. In recent developments for the US Air Force, General Bruce Carlson of the Air Force Material Command has said the Air Force is “committed to funding 380” F-22 stealthy fighter planes, which is currently budgeted for about 180, h/t to our buddy Stephen Trimble. The F-22 is a very expensive fighter plane and the original story in Aviation Week mentions “a Chinese element” is involved in justifying this higher number. While I think it’s quite prudent to plan against many contingencies, the simple question for the Air Force planners is, exactly where are you going to base these aircraft? For fun…pull out a globe and look at China and then at countries in the area that might let us put some airplanes on them. Not a whole lot of options….
The calls for counterinsurgency aircraft only continue, if nothing else, their voice is louder and frankly, becoming more pronounced. I wrote about a new article here explaining what the costs might be for a COIN fixed wing aircraft and here are two articles in Armed Forces Journal, one titled “The Rebirth of the Outback Air Force” by Colonel George Monroe, USAF (Ret) outlines some history regarding COIN and justifies a future potential acquisition of a “Irregular Warfare” capability, with these being some potential solutions:
--An Irregular Warfare Wing with a core function of combat aviation advisors (6th SOS on steroids) with an ability to become a combat function if necessary to work with a threatened nation. The Wing would be equipped with:
-- Acquiring turbo prop light reconnaissance/attack aircraft (like say…a AT-6C??)
-- A smaller airlift aircraft like a C-27 or turboprop equipped C-47
-- An even smaller STOL utility light transport
-- Smaller, more precise and less lethal weapons such as guided 2.75 rockets
In the same Issue, Retired Major General Rich Comer, a highly experienced Special Operator and someone I worked with years ago, also calls for a revitalization of our COIN capabilities in this article “An Irregular Challenge.” General Comer lays out his justification for a lower end and infinitely more affordable (and probably more germane) irregular warfare capability, probably resident in the Air National Guard as well as a theater training center with a host nation. General Comer ends with this:
Today, the Air Force controls air and space from the surface to the sun. Our partner nations, constituting the front lines fighting the global jihad, need to create a scaled-down similar capability within their own domestic airspace. As the only air superpower in the world, the Air Force is the best organization to take on this mission. To do it correctly means planning for the long term, moving patiently and empowering a lot of young airmen. It’s new and will require new aircraft, new wings and new thinking. It will create a new culture in our Air Force, regenerating it into the larger Air Force the country needs. I couldn’t agree more.
Finally, here is a slide from a pamphlet by the folks rebuilding the Iraqi Air Force, the Combined Air Force Transition Team and their vision for the future of the Iraqi Air Force. I haven’t been briefed on this slide so here’s my guess what it means: Green is on a good course, red is not on course or not funded. LOO is Line of Operation ( sort of subarea or goal) IOC is Initially Operational Capability, FOC is Fully Operationally Capable, FTS is Flying Training Squadron, AFTS is Advanced Flying Training Squadron,
