Ad nauseum

[Administrator]

TO THE AIR FORCE, for extreme vanity. The Air Force is seeking a $59 million hike in advertising funds in 2009 — money that would buy two-thirds of an F-35A or one-third of an F-22 — not to boost recruiting, but to sell itself and its program to the public. The new “Above All” ad campaign aims to persuade Americans to support the Air Force, uber alles, in the perpetual competition for budgetary superiority. Despite a 2009 acquisition budget of $144 billion ($3 billion more than the Army’s request), Air Force leaders list another $18.75 billion in unfunded priorities (versus the Army’s $4 billion). Maybe the service’s new slogan should be “Above All, Spend More.”

http://www.armedforcesjournal.com/2008/04/3464189

[The Universal Curmudgeon]

Originally Posted by Administrator

TO THE AIR FORCE, for extreme vanity. The Air Force is seeking a $59 million hike in advertising funds in 2009 — money that would buy two-thirds of an F-35A or one-third of an F-22 — not to boost recruiting, but to sell itself and its program to the public.

Simply another aspect of the "Prime Directive" for O-7s and above - "Get a bigger slice of the budget pie.".

[MEL1776]

How many light infantry / military police brigades would that amount pay for on a yearly basis? That is what we really need more of, not F-XXs of any sort. I think it is time to make the Air Force part of the Department of the Army again.

[grndpndr]

+1,we need airlift/lightwieght c130 tranportable tracked armor far more than superfghters that really have no oppositin that i can see.china is far behind in aircraft and engine design and anything of value seems to be stolen from the US or another source.A couple of brigades/divisions of airborne light mechanized quick reaction troopers equippd to hold their own and sieze/defend well protected positions such as bridgeheads airfields with adequate armor firepower and mobility to sieze the initative as the stuation present themselves not a 3MPH light inf as a holding siezure force But light fully armed pure AFVs and APCs as well as the cancelled army experimental air dropped 105mm light armored gun platform capable of destroying enemy armor with exceptional mobility but still transportable by c130s such as the 82nds cancelled 105mm HV light gun platform that filled all requirements for lethalty moblityand transportability and after beng taken out of mothballs is doing what it was deigned for in iraq , taking out hard points w/its 105mm an d saving lives!?

Take a look t what the rusians have done with thier airborne divisions,thier not toy soldiers walkig into battle AKA ww2 but a modern force quippd with ir transportble BMP3s, armored, can swim,carry a squad of infantry as well as 100mmgun firing atgms as well as std HE etc a coax 30mm cannon and a 7.62
mg in its stabilized turret as well as firng ports for the infantry inside who jump with thier vehicles strapped inside!!Bad-assed,not said lightly by a former 82nd trooper!!

[The Universal Curmudgeon]

Originally Posted by MEL1776

How many light infantry / military police brigades would that amount pay for on a yearly basis?

Good question.

Let's do some math using about the most disadvantageous numbers we can use:

1. Section = 10 pers

2. Platoon = 3 Sections + HQ (8 pers) = 38 pers

3. Company = 3 Platoons + HQ (16 pers) = 130 pers

4. Battalion = 3 "line" Coy + 1 "support" Coy + HQ (45 pers) = 565 pers

5. Brigade = 3 Battalion + 1 "support" Battalion + HQ (120 pers) = 2,380 pers

6. Average Pay = $3,500/mo

7. 2,380 x $3,500 = $8,330,000

8. $8,330,000 x 12 = $99,960,000

9. (Since "pay" generally equals one third cost) $99.960,000 x 3 = $299,880,000

10. $59,000,000 is roughly 1/5 of $299,880,000

Please feel free to repeat the above calculations with more precise numbers if you wish. Unfortunately you are going to have to do some pretty creative "cost cutting" to get $59,000,000 to come anywhere near 50% of the cost of a Brigade (which you would have to get down to $118,000,000 on an annual basis to achieve).

So, tell me, which 60% of the cost of a Brigade are you going to cut?

[The Universal Curmudgeon]

Originally Posted by grndpndr

+1,we need airlift/lightwieght c130 tranportable tracked armor far more than superfghters that really have no oppositin that i can see.

Exactly what role do you propose that those air transportable armoured vehicles play in the actual type of warfare that the US can reasonably expect to involve itself in the next 20 years?

BTW, a Herc can carry (roughly) ONE EFV (which sucks as an armoured fighting vehicle) or equivalent.

Originally Posted by grndpndr

china is far behind in aircraft and engine design and anything of value seems to be stolen from the US or another source.

I do hate to have to keep pointing this out, but that is exactly the same attitude that was prevalent in the US concerning Japan prior to WWII.