I immediately thought I was looking at an AGM-84E SLAM, but the photo TEEJ posted has convinced me its that airliner. The double contrail confirms it. Damn good missile disguise of a paint job, if you ask me.

A fire on board…

“I’m on fire!” gasped the copilot, as the pilot snagged her bra on the control column… 😀

Just a thought, lol.

Does anyone else here recall the scene in the B-17(?) cockpit, in the movie 1941, starring John Belushi and Dan Ackroyd?

The likelyhood of them arriving on station at the same time is low unless their basing takes the speed difference into account… and I don’t see why it would. No matter where they fly from or to they will not be travelling together and will not likely arrive together.

If they put any planning into their attack, the aircraft will be where they want them when they want them. They might well want all the missiles and aircraft to arrive at the same time to saturate defenses, so the slower aircraft could take off first and get a good head start.

The B-1B hasd a much more extensive use of RAM, is smaller, more blended, less visible engine faces, a fixed inclined phased array antenna, and a coated windscreen.

Physical size has nothing to do with anything… or is the B-2 less stealthy because it is big?

Unless the aircraft is designed from the start with a special shape to be stealthy, the bigger it is, the bigger the RCS will be. Every extra foot of wingspan is going to add to the radar return. The intakes on the B-1B were reshaped to lower RCS a lot, but size matters.
The B-2 may have a bigger RCS than the F-22 just due to size, but at that small RCS, a raised screw head could be more significant.

the simple fact that these type of discussuns where not told to the U.S. public is a testamony to Russian superiourty

While the US Navy surface fleet was vulnerable, I don’t think that it follows that the Soviet or Russian Navy would have fared any better. The oceans would be cleared of ships of all sides. SSNs rule the seas. USN SSNs were the best in the world during the Cold War, and I suspect that they still are.

But on the other hand, how survivable are Soviet or Russian bombers on the ground from attacks by FB-111A bombers, or B-2A bombers? Could USN SSNs and P-3C aircraft defeat Russian SSGNs? Perhaps if the surface fleet held back until the threats had been neutralized, the surface navy would remain viable. :confused:

I think US CBG are less well defended than they used to be. The F-14 is gone, and the F-18E can’t fill its shoes. Russian subs are quieter, and the few S-3 that are left have had their ASW equipment removed. Of course the Russian forces have shrunk too.

Flight simulaters may make up for some loss of flight time, and they are great for getting the switchology down, but they can’t replace flight time. The air force with the most flight time is going to be better trained, generally. But that may be more true for a fighter than a big cruise missile launching jet.

As for conflict with Islam, I think Islam is as bad as Lawrence says, but its really little different than Judeo-christianity. If you read the Bible, its every bit as barbaric as the Taliban and the Saudis. The West used to be just like Saudi Arabia is now. The real difference is that the West takes religion a lot less seriously than it used to. Massachusetts doesn’t hang Quakers and witches anymore. So yeah, we used to suck, and yeah, lots of modern muslem countries still suck. Islamic extreemists hate the West for both geopolitical reasons, and for religious reasons. We are not in a war against Islam, we are in a war against religious (Islamic) fundamentalism and extreemism. We parked our infidel Army in their Holy Land, and Osama murdered thousands of Westerners.

If we were at war with Terrorism, it wouldn’t be there anymore.
If we were at war with Drugs, it wouldn’t be there anymore.

Another nonsense argument.

If we were at war with Stains, it wouldn’t be there anymore.
If we were at war with Dirty Dishes, it wouldn’t be there anymore.

We won those wars. I have Tide, bleach and dish detergent (great western inventions :p ), and my clothes are stain free.

If we were at war with North Korea, it wouldn’t be there anymore.

Damn right. :dev2:

If we were at war with the Moon, it wouldn’t be there anymore.

Lunatic. :rolleyes:

If we were at war with Communism, it wouldn’t be there anymore.

No need, its self destructing.

If we were at war with China, it wouldn’t be there anymore…

Maybe, but way more trouble than it would be worth. 😉

We are not in a war against Islam.

Of course you are. The only “terrorists” you attack are Islamic. It is just another christian western crusade to clear out of the holy land.

Riiiiiight. And we were in a war against Shintoism in WWII. :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

Of course you are.

If we were at war with Cuba, it wouldn’t be there anymore.

So the first crew of the first space shuttle launch were hopeless losers because they had had zero hours on the space shuttle…

:rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes:
Who was shooting at the space shuttle?? Were they in a dogfight with a flying saucer?? :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

The US is currently fighting a war on islam in two countries (iraq and Afghanistan), a war on Drugs (Afghanistan et el), and a war on remaining communism in Cuba and North Korea.

We are not in a war against Islam. We have allies who are Muslem nations, one of which is in NATO. Nor are we at war against Cuba, and we are not shooting at North Korea.

The Tu-95 is the Roaming Gnome of military aviation. Every fighter has its picture taken with it. 😀