Replies

1. EVERY flag officer has an agenda. Recall the story of Billy Mitchell and the Battleship Admirals. 4 Stars on each shoulder do NOT prevent you from making errors in judgement. . . .

2. You want steel on target ? Ever hear of Project THOR ?
Imagine a 50 pound crowbar, fin-guided, dropped on a target from orbit. You don't NEED explosives. One would do a main battle tank, all by itself. Space-based sensors for guidance, and voila, you've just wiped a ground force with zero friendly casualties. Alas, you've also pretty much eliminated the need for all but cargo, and maybe recon pilots. And RPV fighters are already in prototype... the Pilots' Union, and ESPECIALLY the Fighter Pilots' Union know VERY well that Space and Space-based weaponry will pretty much make them obsolete. . .and worst still make all the remaining pilots "trash-haulers". . .

the Fighter Pilots' Union know VERY well that Space and Space-based weaponry will pretty much make them obsolete. . .and worst still make all the remaining pilots "trash-haulers". . .

I seriously doubt it. It costs several thousand dollars a pound to put something in orbit. I can't imagine any scenario where space-based weapons would be more cost effective in a conventional war.

As far as your comment about all flag officers having an agenda I agree. Most of them have the agenda of protecting the US using the best strategy and equipment that they're aware of. I've never met an Air Force Flag officer that felt that Air Power could be used by itself to win a war and I've never met an Army Flag officer that felt that ground forces could win without airpower.