Author Topic: Air Force to retire U-2's, F-117's, and part of B-52 fleet (Read 760 times)

GRUNHERZ · « **Reply #30 on:** January 12, 2006, 11:01:42 PM »

FB-22

Maverick · « **Reply #31 on:** January 12, 2006, 11:02:07 PM »

Remember when the AF said the A-10 was obsolete and that the F16 could do the job just as well. Face it those folks are freaking fickle. The 117 had a niche it filled very well just as the A-10 does. My guess is that they will realize that later on and the 117 will be back to go to work again.

Wolfala · « **Reply #32 on:** January 12, 2006, 11:50:00 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by Maverick
Remember when the AF said the A-10 was obsolete and that the F16 could do the job just as well. Face it those folks are freaking fickle. The 117 had a niche it filled very well just as the A-10 does. My guess is that they will realize that later on and the 117 will be back to go to work again.

i.e. Taiwan straights.

CMC Airboss · « **Reply #33 on:** January 13, 2006, 01:49:44 PM »

These fleet retirements and reductions are really the first step toward integrating the future force of UCAV's into the Air Force inventory.

An example is the X-45C with the following features. It can:
Cruise at 0.85 Mach speed.
Carry a 4,500--lb. payload.
Fly 40,000 feet with a mission radius of 1,200 nautical miles on internal fuel.
Be refueled by Air-to-Air Refueling
Transport eight 250-lb. Small Diameter Bombs.
Carry auxiliary fuel tanks and other payloads.
Hit a ground target with a 250-lb. inert near-precision-guided weapon.
Operate independently, fully integrate with manned aircraft operations or execute multi-vehicle coordinated operations.
Be deployed from one location and controlled by another.

http://www.boeing.com/defense-space/military/x-45/

indy007 · « **Reply #34 on:** January 13, 2006, 02:30:24 PM »

Fear the takeover of R/C combat vehicles...