“I am old enough to remember the infamous “TFX”...the previous time the DoD went for “One SIze Fits All”. In the end, the F-111 saw limited service as an Air Force strike bomber and ECM Platform.
We need to change the DoD back to the War Department...which is their job. We need the Services to determine what their missions are, individually, and acquire the right platforms for those missions, for the services. At best, subsystem modularity would be appropriate, but for God’s Sake, stop trying to do everything with one widget!
And, put a rational evaluation on the value of tech.”
Where is that like button?
“One Size Fits All” worked with the F-4 Phantom (Navy, Marines and Air Force) though. There were Photo Recon, ECM, fighter, interdiction and attack versions of the same airframe. Some of those aircraft are still being flown in foreign services. Same goes with A-4 Skyhawk.