Given the number of advanced long-wavelength systems appearing and their ability to interface directly with SAM units, the F-35 is a hilarious waste of time.

Nobody is going to use a VHF radar for target engagement, so at best the VHF will hand off the target to some shorter-ranged system which is easier to defeat.

The T-50, not so much, as the US has never really put much effort into VHF-band systems. You need big-ass transmitters for one, making them unsuitable for airborne or naval use.”

VHF, yes, but the USN for example uses plenty of UHF radars since the E-2D Hawkeye’s APY-9 is a UHF set. The J-20, T-50, etc, are no less vulnerable to detection by radars operating at those wavelengths.

The Obama administration cannot politically afford not to protect Erbil. There are dozens of diplomatic and military personnel there; most of the diplomats there were originally in Baghdad and were evacuated to Erbil when the ISIL crisis started. It would not be politically acceptable for the US to lose another ambassador to violent extremists, so Obama had to do something.

Well, it was fun watching people pretend that Iraq was going to remain a unified state and establish a modern air force. The US is currently in the process of evacuating Balad AB, and that pretty much spells the end of any training or support for the nascent IQAF. I’m not sure how the funding works on the F-16IQ deal, but if they were already paid for then the USAF is going to receive its first new F-16s in over a decade. Otherwise they will just not be built.

What is the attrition rate for the Osprey across all the services? Do the USMC lose more than anyone else? Is the aircraft more prone to falling out of the sky than any other rotor craft?

Not at all. Since 2007 when they became operational, the V-22 has had three crashes (two USAF CV-22, one USMC MV-22) which resulted in a total of 6 fatalities, and five minor incidents in which aircraft were damaged but no injuries resulted. This includes its operational and combat deployments. This is over a fleet of 31 USAF and 164 USMC Ospreys.

The article is not particularly flattering about the F-111 either. I always thought the F-111 was in the end, a pretty successful design…
I can’t say I think much of this article, regarding what it has to say about the F-111, F-4 and F-35.

The F-111 was originally supposed to replace the F-4 in the USN for the fleet defense role (the F-14’s AWG-9 and Phoenix missiles were originally developed for the F-111B) and a variety of aircraft in the USAF. In the end it failed as a fleet defense fighter as it was much too heavy, but it ended up a superb strike aircraft. The comparison to the F-35 is valid insofar as both are slated to be multi-service aircraft that take on a wide variety of roles. But that’s about it really.

I’m getting there 🙂
Boeing filed for a patent on the concept in 1978 and received it in 1980.
“Missile Carrier Airplane,” US patent 4,208,949

Not that grotesque Rube Goldberg contraption again. One of the many reasons this never went forward is its insane complexity. There is only one small launch door at the rear of the aircraft, so the entire assembly of nine rotary launchers has to rotate through the aircraft on a conveyor belt. Loading these things would be a nightmare, and the single point of failure is just ridiculous. There is a reason why bombers are used to drop bombs and cruise missiles, and passenger aircraft are not.

In terms of tactical jets, Peru has 12 Mirage 2000Ps (Mirage 2000E standard, RDM radar and M-53-P2, acquired in the late 1980s, basically obsolete), 18 MiG-29s (8 of which upgraded to MiG-29SMP standard in 2012, remainder are MiG-29S standard), and around 18 Su-25s.

Chile has about 36 F-16AM/BM MLUs, 10 F-16C/D Block52+, and 19 F-5E/Fs. Of note, Chile’s F-16s are armed with AIM-120C-7 AAMs.

From a force multiplier standpoint, Chile also has a 707 AEW (IAI Phalcon) and three KC-135s. Peru has neither capability.

Chile also has almost 3 times Peru’s military budget ($7.4 billion vs $2.3 billion) which is likely to reflect on their relative training and readiness.

So looking at it in terms of aircraft, Peru is at a pretty severe disadvantage in an air war here. In real terms, it depends on what they are going to war over and what each side’s goals are.

HEA on Typhoon has a hit ratio of 20:1

What do you mean by this?