Russia tests new Stealth Fighter
Long a producer of combat jets, the Russian firm Sukhoi has just tested the T-50, Moscow's first jet fighter since the end of the Cold War. Invisible to radar, the twin-engine T-50 is Russia's counterpart to our F-22 Raptor. The Russian Air Force may begin receiving the new jet in 2013, and it may become available to foreign buyers by 2015 or so.
It now appears that Obama's decision to terminate F-22 production was a mistake. The F-22 was a virtually peerless fighter. For years it guaranteed US air superiority in any confrontation. Now, the US will have to make do with a fleet of aging Raptors, while Russia, and perhaps other states, threaten to eclipse our mastery of the skies.
It now appears that Obama's decision to terminate F-22 production was a mistake. The F-22 was a virtually peerless fighter. For years it guaranteed US air superiority in any confrontation. Now, the US will have to make do with a fleet of aging Raptors, while Russia, and perhaps other states, threaten to eclipse our mastery of the skies.
posted by starman at 3:36 AM
5 Comments:
It was a very serious mistake to halt production of the F-22. One of the big reasons is that our bombers need adequate protection from our fighter planes against enemy fighter planes. In World War II the German military thought that bombers by themselves could do most of the fighting. The Stuka dive bomber was no match for the British Spitfire and the Russian Yak-9. That resulted in the loss of extreme numbers of German bombers. The German Air Force had some good fighter planes, but nowhere near enough. Without an adequate number of F-22s, the American Air Force bombers would be in trouble in a major war. The Raptors cannot do the job of protecting our bombers in such an event.
Yes, fighters are important, not only to protect our offensive strength but to stop enemy attackers from getting through. Eventually our existing Raptors will be retired. When that happens, the US could be militarily weaker vis a vis other nations unless production resumes.
You are exactly right and there is something that I will add. Fighter planes are also important for shooting down enemy spy planes. That can keep the enemy from getting critical information about what is happening on the ground.
As we're both no doubt aware, modern reconnaissance planes include some of the fastest and highest flying jets ever. The SR-71 Blackbird is a prime example. What if some other nation builds something comparable to it?Countering such a craft will requires a state of the art interceptor, like the F-22. If the other side can't see it coming, it may not have time to get away.
It is very likely another country will build something comparable to the SR-71 Blackbird. The fact that Russia came up with its own version of the Stealth shows that other countries can develop planes that are on a par with ours. I think that it is very likely that Russia and/or other countries will eventually have their own equivalent of the SR-71 Blackbird.
Post a Comment
<< Home