Posted on 12/21/2016 6:55:26 AM PST by RoosterRedux
President-elect Trump’s criticism of Boeing and the costs of the new Air Force One aircraft is, I believe, more than just political theater. If there is anything his business experience has taught Mr. Trump, it’s that getting the most bang for the buck while meeting performance standards is paramount in any successful venture. Trump has said he intends to make AF1 cheaper. Consider that AF1 is essentially a flying command and control node. If communications and other digitized systems are up to speed, then using more standard components in a proven aircraft would result in a significant cost savings while retaining a high percentage of performance.
In a larger sense, I think Trump is signaling his view of military power, that is, a robust industrial capability is the key component of our warfighting ability.
*snip*
If Trump’s approach to AF1 is any indicator, the same principles could apply to our defense industry, which is in dire need of some business sense. Currently, it is a group of patronage businesses in thrall to a military procurement system geared to satisfying the whims of politicians for home district jobs -- even if the weapon system is fragile in the field, flawed, unneeded, too costly, or all four. This has resulted in too few near-perfect weapons systems (e.g., the F-35), manned by too few soldiers, which are be led by low, no-risk leaders for their never ending war. It also enables lefty politicians to claim their pro-defense credentials (see John Murtha).
The uniformed military leadership shares responsibility for this situation. Steeped in the false promises of fourth generation warfare and info dominance, it has substituted a bloated and rudderless intelligence apparatus and unproven technology for combined arms combat power.
(Excerpt) Read more at americanthinker.com ...
Ping
Why does AF-1 have to be a heavy jet, wouldn’t it make more sense to have a small fast jet that can accommodate perhaps 2 dozen people and the rest can be spread out using hi tech coms?
I am SO looking forward to our new CIC leading our military. In some ways, thankfully, it’s as though he already is ;-)
On that note, have you seen this?:
Ratings restored: Effective immediately, sailors will get their job titles back
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3506790/posts
And you are correct.
I don’t think that speed is best, staying power as in time aloft would be more advantages. IMHO
Maybe a fat boy for international travel and a slim, nimble one for stateside... I think far more foreign heads will be traveling to DJT than vice versa.
Give the ‘press’ a web-cam to monitor the old AF1 press pit from their coach seat flying commercial.
“I am SO looking forward to our new CIC leading our military.”
And high time too. Morale amongst the ranks has been mighty low these past 8 years.
Yep, shouldn’t AF1 be supersonic? Time is money.
Good point, we should have kept the shuttle :)
“Why does AF-1 have to be a heavy jet, wouldn’t it make more sense to have a small fast jet that can accommodate perhaps 2 dozen people and the rest can be spread out using hi tech coms?”
Everything big enough to carry two dozen people is subsonic, like the 747 which cruises about 0.85 Mach. The Gulfstream G650 cruises about 0.92 Mach. The newest Boeing, the 787, also cruises about 0.85 Mach
Endurance, room for lots of support personnel, comm gear and ECM (Electronic Counter Measures) gear make the 747 a good platform.
0bammie should have used it to get to his Hawaiian vacation, maybe he’d still be in orbit. :)
The sheer amount of comms equipment that follows the President everywhere precludes a small jet. Both on space required AND power needed.
Now, mind you, you could use a SMALLER jet, get rid of the press seating, etc.
I remember as a kid in Houston the mach-busting jets overhead freaking out all the expensive fish in the elaborate aquariums 2-3X/day.
If DJT popped sonic booms all around DC and NYC, the press would go haywire with it :)
Still waiting for that Escape Pod....
Bless them. I wonder if they’re all (mostly, hopefully) thinking....help is on the way!!
I can tell you they are. Most are by nature not particularly talkative, but there’s an underlying current of optimism there; a ‘spring in their step’, if I can put it that way, not seen in quite some time.
I shudder to think what the mood would have been if Hillary had been CIC.
The press should travel on its own dime.
Seems to mirror my thoughts on the AR/M4/M16 platform for our armed forces.
Great technology, cutting edge really. If Aliens invade, we are one step closer to whatever weaponry they might possess.
But in the WWI/WWII theaters the soldier lacked the supply chain that is necessary with the M4. Other fighting forces around the world also lack that supply chain, and because of this they go with more hearty weapon systems that are proven, reliable and sturdy.
There is no reason that we should keep using Pencils instead of Fisher Space pens, but we do always need to give a nod to the fact that you can take down a tree with the butt plate of an SKS while still storing your cleaning / cooking kit in the stock wrapped inside of a fabric map.
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