F35 down and missing in SC

[AvNavCom]

All the branches really need to look hard at prioritizing flight proficiency over non flying duties / courses. It’s like when I was in the Army, I was given the option of attending one of two courses prior to my next duty station. Warrant Officer Advanced Course or Instrument Examiner Course. I’m gonna choose the course that makes me the best pilot I can be and not one that improves my PPT & memo writing skills. I also needed something for my resume for employment after retirement. The extra “fluff” so to speak helps for promotion and leadership skills but does nothing to enhance what should be one’s core objective. Know your job like the back of your hand.

I've had a long-held fantasy of being King of the Navy for a bit and doing precisely this. All pilots and NFOs would be warrant officers, with sufficient special/incentive pay that there's no loss of their current income. Every pilot and NFO would have a singular focus: fly and fight your machine. That's it. And you can have a 20-year career doing only that, divorced from the rat-race of promotion shenanigans, FITREP bulleteering, and collateral hell. I want a cadre of aviation warfighting SMEs who eat, sleep, and breathe their aircraft and the tactics thereof without the unnecessary administrative distractions inherent in the current "up or out" paradigm.

For those so inclined (and presumably all the ring-knockers), a competitively selected command-track would be available. At that point, you commission as an Ensign and resign yourself to the classic experience of slowly but inevitably reduced flight time as the years pass, and the sweet pain of being the Maintenance O or Safety O, eventually culminating in XO and CO positions.

I feel exactly the same way about physicians, nurses, and all the other various medical species. Sure, it's fun to walk around wearing scrambled eggs but how much sweeter would it be to not have to bang my head against 18 lines of FITREP98, including (somehow!) a mandatory comment on how I've been a living example of Get Real Get Better and offer up required proof of my adherence to inclusive team dynamics. Instead, perhaps I could--whisper it--actually do my job, seek training to hone and expand my skills, and spend time mentoring the shiny new Lieutenant (who should be warrants!) flight surgeons who are thrown into the fleet with half the training they really need and a quarter of what they want.

 

[Velocity173]

I've had a long-held fantasy of being King of the Navy for a bit and doing precisely this. All pilots and NFOs would be warrant officers, with sufficient special/incentive pay that there's no loss of their current income. Every pilot and NFO would have a singular focus: fly and fight your machine. That's it. And you can have a 20-year career doing only that, divorced from the rat-race of promotion shenanigans, FITREP bulleteering, and collateral hell. I want a cadre of aviation warfighting SMEs who eat, sleep, and breathe their aircraft and the tactics thereof without the unnecessary administrative distractions inherent in the current "up or out" paradigm.

For those so inclined (and presumably all the ring-knockers), a competitively selected command-track would be available. At that point, you commission as an Ensign and resign yourself to the classic experience of slowly but inevitably reduced flight time as the years pass, and the sweet pain of being the Maintenance O or Safety O, eventually culminating in XO and CO positions.

I feel exactly the same way about physicians, nurses, and all the other various medical species. Sure, it's fun to walk around wearing scrambled eggs but how much sweeter would it be to not have to bang my head against 18 lines of FITREP98, including (somehow!) a mandatory comment on how I've been a living example of Get Real Get Better and offer up required proof of my adherence to inclusive team dynamics. Instead, perhaps I could--whisper it--actually do my job, seek training to hone and expand my skills, and spend time mentoring the shiny new Lieutenant (who should be warrants!) flight surgeons who are thrown into the fleet with half the training they really need and a quarter of what they want.

I agree but it would be it would be staffing challenge to man both the cockpit and staff positions. The Army aviation structure works because the RLOs are forced to go into staffing positions and the WOs stay flying. You can always pull from the staffers if you need additional help for a mission. If you had strictly admin staffers that were no longer current, then they wouldn’t be able to help out the line units.

Also, if the other branches allowed the choice between staying in the cockpit or being a desk jockey, how many will actually chose the later? Also, the powers that be actually want that well rounded aviator who went back to teach at the academy or attended a leadership development course at Oxford. Still, in my opinion distractions from what they should really be concentrating on.

 

[Pinecone]

The Army seems to be able to do it.

 

[3393RP]

I contend it is the distractions of USMC pet project asks what has poison pilled a lot of joint programmes, the F-35 very much included. A lot of elements of expeditionary doctrine are frankly overstated and abused.

You've accurately described the F-35B.

 

[Piperonca]

The Army seems to be able to do it.

It’s seemingly unique about the Army: after Vietnam there was an overstock of commissioned officers, so a bunch of them reverted to warrants. Later on some went from warrant back to commissioned. Decades later that was still done in the Army National Guard. One of my best friends was a West Point graduate who left active duty as a captain to pursue higher education and then converted (or reverted) to warrant to keep on flying in his favorite guard unit. Then after all that, he retired as a major in the USAR.

 

[Albany Tom]

Standing safely on the sidelines, to me it doesn't seem surprising that Marine leadership would prioritize a defense contractor over one of their own.

 

[AvNavCom]

I agree but it would be it would be staffing challenge to man both the cockpit and staff positions. The Army aviation structure works because the RLOs are forced to go into staffing positions and the WOs stay flying. You can always pull from the staffers if you need additional help for a mission. If you had strictly admin staffers that were no longer current, then they wouldn’t be able to help out the line units.

Also, if the other branches allowed the choice between staying in the cockpit or being a desk jockey, how many will actually chose the later? Also, the powers that be actually want that well rounded aviator who went back to teach at the academy or attended a leadership development course at Oxford. Still, in my opinion distractions from what they should really be concentrating on.

I don't think I'm suggesting purely admin staffers. The current Navy paradigm is for naval aviators/NFOs to start in a mostly flying role (albeit loaded with at least one "collateral") and over time their collaterals grow in complexity and importance to the point that their "ground job" gets more hours than the primary flying job. Eventually you get to the point that safety briefs include how to mitigate the Commodore not having flown in 3 months. The same is true in Navy medicine. Are far as I can tell (with only one foot in the aviation realm), there's very little ability to remain a career-long full-time pilot unless you're willing to be an instructor and top out at O-4. I may be wrong in that, but I've never seen otherwise.

My scheme would essentially keep the option for the current paradigm, which I imagine would be mandatory for the folks going to the Academy. That provides the necessary admin leadership staff over time (and hey, let's take a look at the necessity of a lot of our admin BS, while we're at it!) while allowing a smaller cadre of folks to choose the WO path of remaining in the cockpit full time at the cost of lower "status" but not a reduced paycheck. I think there are enough folks who dream of being a squadron CO that you wouldn't have a problem getting enough leadership staff and enough folks who just want to fly cool stuff to fill out the WO ranks. From the medical side of the house, I know a fair number of folks who have taken an early exit because they got tired of all the mandatory administrative BS and figured that if they were going to have civilian-style paperwork requirements, they wanted a civilian-style paycheck. Those people are probably smarter than I am.

You should see the faces of the senior medical types when I airily suggest that we should all start as WOs and only some people should be selected for "leadership track", while the rest of us actually practice military-specific medicine.

 

[geezer]

The emotional interior of the human mind is an issue here,

In the Korean war (The Geezer was 1Y at the time), a Colonel was taking heavy artillery fire from behind a hill, he and his staff determined it was important to take that hill, and did. Casualties were high, but the shelling stopped.

Elsewhere, a young man decided to join the Army, and insisted that his Mother not tell his father he was doing so, she grudgingly agreed. He went through basic training, and shipped direct to Korea, with the standard uniform from basic, including white underwear. He was sent straight to the front to replace recently killed soldiers, arriving just in time for assaulting a hill, and capturing it.

He died in the assault, a telegram was sent to his Mom, and she sent an airmail letter to her husband.....The colonel learned he had sent his only son up that hill.

The colonel developed emotional problems, was treated and released, with doctors orders that he should never be in command of troops in a possible combat area.

I knew that colonel personally as a member of my chain of command. I agree with the doctors.

The punch out and loss of his plane, the ordeal of the ensuing investigations, and mixed acceptance of his choice just may have altered his way of thinking, and he is no longer true Marine material.

That is an unfortunate fact of life in a life or death career..

My interaction with my colonel was 3/4 century ago, I still remember his name, and personally like him.

 

[Piperonca]

In the Korean war (The Geezer was 1Y at the time),

Typo?

 

[Velocity173]

Typo?

Not if he’s 91. Amazing too because I know people in their 60s that aren’t internet savvy and can barely remember what they did yesterday, let alone 70 years ago. Whatever he’s taking, I want some.

 

[Piperonca]

I think Mr. G hit the Y key instead of the adjacent 6 key. Read literally, said he was one year old at the time.

That story is heartbreaking.

Below is another one for the ages that I will never get out of my mind. And Geezer’s words also describe that ancient sorrow.

Taps

 

[Velocity173]

I think Mr. G hit the Y key instead of the adjacent 6 key. Read literally, said he was one year old at the time.

That story is heartbreaking.

Below is another one for the ages that I will never get out of my mind. And Geezer’s words also describe that ancient sorrow.

Taps

Oh, I thought he was referring to his selective service rating (1-Y). Could be wrong.

 

[Piperonca]

Oh, I thought he was referring to his selective service rating (1-Y). Could be wrong.

I had forgotten about those. All I remember was 4-F, which I was not.

 

[geezer]

Selective Service 1A was tops skills and physical. 1Y was the same but student deferred.

The story of the colonel took place before I skipped a semester and was drafted. He was commandant of troops in the Signal school when I was there.

 

[Warlock]

Marine air has always seemed redundant to me and I have participated in DOD level tests replacing them on LHA’s as part of my military career. I can vouch for the Army Warrant Officer aviators as well…I can tell you I would rather see a 45 year old W-4 flying the mission than a 45 year old 0-6. The F-35 has actually fielded as the safest fighter in history but also of note is several of the latest accidents have been unit commanders…just my observation. The B model is a bastard child in my opinion and will continue to have issues just like the AV-8. Also, once the computer quits, it quits flying…there is only one option and it’s ejection…and yes I have spent a little more than static display around young F-35 pilots.

 

[hindsight2020]

there's very little ability to remain a career-long full-time pilot unless you're willing to be an instructor and top out at O-4.

"To be somebody or to do something. In life there is often a roll call. That’s when you will have to make a decision."



I leave money on the table like it's my actual job. But to quote Leroy Jenkins: "...at least I got chicken."

Forget cocaine, Psychic Wage is one hell of a drug.

 

[Piperonca]

"To be somebody or to do something. In life there is often a roll call. That’s when you will have to make a decision."
View attachment 139579


I leave money on the table like it's my actual job. But to quote Leroy Jenkins: "...at least I got chicken."

Forget cocaine, Psychic Wage is one hell of a drug.

COL John Boyd -“The Fighter Pilot Who Changed the Art of War”​

Link
Another Georgia Tech graduate

 

[hindsight2020]

A brilliant mind, lousy father and husband. So I do take great caution when I profer his quote (and I do, frequently, even in passing conversation). One which is very formative to my own *concessionary career. (*in the eyes of peers and the Service Branch alike).

The truth is I could have chased my Pegasus a little harder/longer (that's what she said...lol) , but I took a bow and prioritized family. I have a few regrets (username origin story) in life, but that decision is not one of them.

 

[Hengelo]

@geezer that story is too awful to fiction. I hope you are aware of how big your fan club is here.
@hindsight2020 I'm going to run out of beer money if you keep dropping Leeroy quotes like that.

 

[geezer]

Thanks, Hengelo

Unfortunately, I do not know what a "Leeroy" quote is, and probably do not care.

 

[Piperonca]

A brilliant mind, lousy father and husband.

Which reference for that? Would like to read it, thanks.

Proceedings of the U.S. Naval Institute article contains one obvious error: alleging COL Boyd's IQ was 90. Double that maybe.
Genghis John

 

[TCABM]

Thanks, Hengelo

Unfortunately, I do not know what a "Leeroy" quote is, and probably do not care.

Leeroy Jenkins.

When I was an instructor in the E-3 schoolhouse, we gave a weekly Leeroy Jenkins award to the crew that spent the most amount of time mission planning to not accomplish anything.

 

[hindsight2020]

Leeroy Jenkins.

When I was an instructor in the E-3 schoolhouse, we gave a weekly Leeroy Jenkins award to the crew that spent the most amount of time mission planning to not accomplish anything.

*ASMR trigger* Gawd that never gets old. Philosophy can indeed be artful. *chefs kiss*

 

[Velocity173]

Leeroy Jenkins.

When I was an instructor in the E-3 schoolhouse, we gave a weekly Leeroy Jenkins award to the crew that spent the most amount of time mission planning to not accomplish anything.

Is that how it originated? I remember on the Nat Geo Combat Air Rescue show the Pedro guys used to play it in the back ground when a mission dropped.

That vid actually reminds me of a sim session I had as a student at Rucker. We had this generic simulator where you could do practice multiship missions. Anyway, somehow I got picked for Air Mission Commander for an air assault simulation. This was the culmination of days of planning. Everything was going as planned and we had just dropped off at the PZ. On the way out we start taking heavy SAFIRE. Guys start dropping like flys. “Assault 33’s hit…going down!” Our flight of nine is down to like five but we’re still looking good and maintaining formation integrity. Finally a good bud of mine transmits “F-you guys…I’m outta here!” He breaks formation and goes it alone. I actually look out my left door (screen) and see him pass us. There’s this stunned silence because no one can believe what he just did. Finally I transmit “bandit break…every man for himself!” Over the next 10 minutes, one by one we slowly got picked off. Not a single one of made it back alive. We’re all laughing until the instructor comes in and just chews my a**. It was basically this “never leave your wingman” nonsense but maintaining tight formation just doesn’t work when you need to get down in the weeds. Anyway, that same SOB didn’t award me a class ranking point (OML) as AMC because of my performance. Probably cost me distinguished honor grad but I don’t care.

 

[TCABM]

… the Pedro guys used to play it in the back ground when a mission dropped....

How apropos. F’n classic.

ETA: 20-ish yrs ago is when I teaching there and this is what I recall of it, so I’m assuming it is the origin story.

 

[Piperonca]

Is that how it originated? I remember on the Nat Geo Combat Air Rescue show the Pedro guys used to play it in the back ground when a mission dropped.

That vid actually reminds me of a sim session I had as a student at Rucker. We had this generic simulator where you could do practice multiship missions. Anyway, somehow I got picked for Air Mission Commander for an air assault simulation. This was the culmination of days of planning. Everything was going as planned and we had just dropped off at the PZ. On the way out we start taking heavy SAFIRE. Guys start dropping like flys. “Assault 33’s hit…going down!” Our flight of nine is down to like five but we’re still looking good and maintaining formation integrity. Finally a good bud of mine transmits “F-you guys…I’m outta hear!” He breaks formation and goes it alone. I actually look out my left door (screen) and see him pass us. There’s this stunned silence because no one can believe what he just did. Finally I transmit “bandit break…every man for himself!” Over the next 10 minutes, one by one we slowly got picked off. Not a single one of made it back alive. We’re all laughing until the instructor comes in and just chews my a**. It was basically this “never leave your wingman” nonsense but maintaining tight formation just doesn’t work when you need to get down in the weeds. Anyway, that same SOB didn’t award me a class ranking point (OML) as AMC because of my performance. Probably cost me distinguished honor grad but I don’t care.

Flying low in a gaggle, you have to be careful. At Hood, back in the day when the 1st Cav came back from RVN and we got aircraft and folks to train in them, they would have us put all these low level demonstrations that looked good for VIPs in bleachers (Army killed people at Campbell doing that, too) and maybe a general in a C&C bird. Several companies' flights were involved, and we had all done recon and planning with careful timing to avoid hazard. Nevertheless I was leading a flight of Hueys at contour altitude on a planned route and damned if we narrowly escaped a multi-ship mid-air with another flight that wasn't supposed to be coming up that valley. They popped up over a hill right coming directly at us and it was one of those split second moments when you think oh **** I going to die right now. What happened looked like a poor man's version of the Blue Angels departing skyward on all directions. We all reacted instantly. I went straight up and observed the belly of an oncoming Huey that flickered in my peripheral vision as we reached for the sky at a 45 degree angle. I think we were in staggered trail and the left flank dodged the right flank of the opposing flight. Never saw anything like it. The sky was all of a sudden a furball of helicopters going up, sideways, and a couple went for the ground, bringing back tree branches in the skids and busted chin bubbles. Cosmic 6 pulled rank on every VIP and commander that day. With His divine intervention, no one was lost.

 

[Sluggo63]

there's very little ability to remain a career-long full-time pilot unless you're willing to be an instructor and top out at O-4. I may be wrong in that, but I've never seen otherwise.

That’s what the Guard and Reserves are for.

I did 25 years (9-1/2 active duty and the rest in the ANG). No staff tours and only one 3 month school in residence. The rest of the time I was just a line pilot (well, instructor and evaluator, but never staff).

 

[hindsight2020]

That’s what the Guard and Reserves are for.

A common quip on our side of the house, yes. Empirically true, but it shouldn't be (exclusively).

It would blow people's minds the CVs of the people I'm picking up lately who are willing to make "concessionary" career pivots because Active Component is so recalcitrant. Add the grinding to a halt airline hiring, and OOoooooof. Don't get me wrong, it afforded me the ability to fix my manning in 12 months flat, and I also look like a complete Nostradamus at work since I called it last year, while my bosses were panicking about my hold position [against being pushed to hire anyone just because our manning was crap]. But I digress.

The Reserves works for us as individuals, but it is absolutely a core competency problem for the Active Component. It also creates a perverse environment where leadership vacuums get filled by a literal "congratulations, you're the best of what's left". As a TFI/TFE member for more than 14 years, I've lived with the impacts of that caustic Active Duty OPCON leadership incompetence. It's also a wild greening of the force, putting children and neophytes in charge, it also forces capable young guys into administrative qweep earlier than their bodies could afford us to delay, steepening the spiral. You're lucky if you get one ops tour of 400 hours from a guy you dumped 3 million over 5 years before he was allowed to lead a paper bag these days, the majority of which then get tossed out of the command or gets staff/attached flyer rot in junior O-4 life. Take rates post commitment are less than 40%, this.is.my.shocked.face.

 

[midwestpa24]

Leeroy Jenkins.

When I was an instructor in the E-3 schoolhouse, we gave a weekly Leeroy Jenkins award to the crew that spent the most amount of time mission planning to not accomplish anything.

I know the origin of "LEEROY JENKINS", but this one is my personal favorite.

 

[RyanShort1]

A common quip on our side of the house, yes. Empirically true, but it shouldn't be (exclusively).

It would blow people's minds the CVs of the people I'm picking up lately who are willing to make "concessionary" career pivots because Active Component is so recalcitrant. Add the grinding to a halt airline hiring, and OOoooooof. Don't get me wrong, it afforded me the ability to fix my manning in 12 months flat, and I also look like a complete Nostradamus at work since I called it last year, while my bosses were panicking about my hold position [against being pushed to hire anyone just because our manning was crap]. But I digress.

The Reserves works for us as individuals, but it is absolutely a core competency problem for the Active Component. It also creates a perverse environment where leadership vacuums get filled by a literal "congratulations, you're the best of what's left". As a TFI/TFE member for more than 14 years, I've lived with the impacts of that caustic Active Duty OPCON leadership incompetence. It's also a wild greening of the force, putting children and neophytes in charge, it also forces capable young guys into administrative qweep earlier than their bodies could afford us to delay, steepening the spiral. You're lucky if you get one ops tour of 400 hours from a guy you dumped 3 million over 5 years before he was allowed to lead a paper bag these days, the majority of which then get tossed out of the command or gets staff/attached flyer rot in junior O-4 life. Take rates post commitment are less than 40%, this.is.my.shocked.face.

I was just flying with a Reserves guy this last week in ATP-CTP training. Very interesting.

 

[Jeff767]

You've accurately described the F-35B.

The F35B is alive and well today because of the Navy not the Marines. The Navy faced with the decline in big deck carriers pushed the B model to give it the ability to have an increase in decks with strike capability. The Marines finally figured out that forward deploying aircraft is only effective in a very permissive environment. The B is a carrier multiplier for the Navy.

 

[3393RP]

The F35B is alive and well today because of the Navy not the Marines. The Navy faced with the decline in big deck carriers pushed the B model to give it the ability to have an increase in decks with strike capability. The Marines finally figured out that forward deploying aircraft is only effective in a very permissive environment. The B is a carrier multiplier for the Navy.

Then the Navy is guilty too. It's absurd to deploy a $100 million aircraft in a flight regime that will allow ground based troops with basic handheld weapons the ability to shoot it down. On top of that, all three models are being lost in operational crashes because of poor construction issues, pilot befuddlement, and overly complex systems whose failures render the aircraft inable to fly.

This is what happens when technology runs amuck. The CNO recently admitted they're wasting money and resources by fighting with expensive weapons systems. There's nothing in the inventory more expensive than the F-35B, and the mission profile established for the aircraft will invite losses far out of proportion to the sophistication of the threats.

Naval missiles that run around $2 million a shot have been used to take out drones that cost the Houthis no more than $2,000. Since the March 15 offensive began, the Houthis have also downed three MQ-9 Reaper drones — each worth about $30 million.

New Navy chief 'regrets' costly missile interceptors against Houthis, pushes for cheaper Red Sea defense

Adm. James Kilby says expensive Red Sea missile defenses are not sustainable and calls on the military-industrial base to speed up cheaper munitions production.

www.foxnews.com

 

[StraightnLevel]

This is what happens when technology runs amuck. The CNO recently admitted they're wasting money and resources by fighting with expensive weapons systems.

I have zero military experience, but didn't we (and Russia) prevail in WWII by producing more planes, ships, rifles, and GIs than anyone else? Germany had more advanced planes (ME262, et al) and armor, but we overwhelmed with sheer numbers of more basic systems, right?

 

[Bob Noel]

I have zero military experience, but didn't we (and Russia) prevail in WWII by producing more planes, ships, rifles, and GIs than anyone else? Germany had more advanced planes (ME262, et al) and armor, but we overwhelmed with sheer numbers of more basic systems, right?

it's more complicated than that.

it's not just about aircraft, tanks, etc... it's also about the men under arms, it's about training, it's about tactics. and I'm not sure we can properly estimate the help hitler provided to the Allied war effort by being a complete flippin' maroon.

 

[Jeff767]

I have zero military experience, but didn't we (and Russia) prevail in WWII by producing more planes, ships, rifles, and GIs than anyone else? Germany had more advanced planes (ME262, et al) and armor, but we overwhelmed with sheer numbers of more basic systems, right?

The German advanced systems arrived far too late and in two few numbers to make a difference. We actually had the best piston engine fighter in the P-51. We also had far more advanced radar and abilities to break enemy codes.

 

[Jeff767]

Then the Navy is guilty too. It's absurd to deploy a $100 million aircraft in a flight regime that will allow ground based troops with basic handheld weapons the ability to shoot it down. On top of that, all three models are being lost in operational crashes because of poor construction issues, pilot befuddlement, and overly complex systems whose failures render the aircraft inable to fly.

This is what happens when technology runs amuck. The CNO recently admitted they're wasting money and resources by fighting with expensive weapons systems. There's nothing in the inventory more expensive than the F-35B, and the mission profile established for the aircraft will invite losses far out of proportion to the sophistication of the threats.

Naval missiles that run around $2 million a shot have been used to take out drones that cost the Houthis no more than $2,000. Since the March 15 offensive began, the Houthis have also downed three MQ-9 Reaper drones — each worth about $30 million.

New Navy chief 'regrets' costly missile interceptors against Houthis, pushes for cheaper Red Sea defense

Adm. James Kilby says expensive Red Sea missile defenses are not sustainable and calls on the military-industrial base to speed up cheaper munitions production.

www.foxnews.com

By permissive I meant the basing location. Forward basing near the front lines is just not practical. If however you are flying in a non permissive environment the only aircraft you want to be in is a F35. It has mind boggling capabilities that for the most part probably won’t be general knowledge for 30 more years. Consider that Israel destroyed Irans air defense system which was considered very advanced in one night without losing a F-35. The aircraft has every bad actor in the Middle East scared to death. It’s a true game changer in both kinetic warefare and the ability to gather and disseminate intelligence.

 

[2-Bit Speed]

... but we overwhelmed with sheer numbers of more basic systems, right?

I debated how to answer this, but the short version is: No. The slightly longer version is that the Allies were able to mass-produce our wonder-weapons (and apply them) while stopping Germany's ability to do so. I can think of two technologies America pursued and applied successfully, Proximity fuses and turbo-supercharging. Contrast this Germany's misapplication of its assets. The Tiger was a great tank, but it was ill-suited to the kind of offensive Hitler wanted. It was too heavy for many of the bridges it was supposed to cross. Furthermore, its allied competitor was not as inferior as some post-war publications would imply. It was equipped with gyro-stabilization (for example).

The Proximity fuse was, without any exaggeration, a war-winning technology. The increase in anti-aircraft accuracy afforded by this fuse cut the number of shells needed for a successful hit by at least five.

To my knowledge, America was the only power in WW2 to deploy a successful fighter aircraft with turbo-supercharging. Every other power used geared superchargers driven by the crankshaft, thus limiting the aircraft's potential to a few specific altitudes.

In short, the idea of German wonder-weapons is more myth than reality. America had wonder-weapons as well, but since we won (and we know ourselves), they go largely unnoticed or unappreciated.

P.S. Come to think of it, High-Octane fuel (over 100, reaching 150) was another American technology, and we provided it to everyone. The Germans were limited to... I think 98 or 97 depending on the source. And @SkyChaser just reminded me that by the end of the war their fuel was in the 80s.

 

[Half Fast]

By permissive I meant the basing location. Forward basing near the front lines is just not practical. If however you are flying in a non permissive environment the only aircraft you want to be in is a F35. It has mind boggling capabilities that for the most part probably won’t be general knowledge for 30 more years. Consider that Israel destroyed Irans air defense system which was considered very advanced in one night without losing a F-35. The aircraft has every bad actor in the Middle East scared to death. It’s a true game changer in both kinetic warefare and the ability to gather and disseminate intelligence.

You’re correct, but I’ll also mention that some of the most advanced capabilities are locked out or de-tuned in the export versions. So the US models can do even better than what you saw Israel doing.

Years ago, I had a hand in the original development of the F35’s electro-optical targeting system. I really enjoyed watching the F35s fly at SNF last week. Always cool to see an idea become reality.

 

[3393RP]

I have zero military experience, but didn't we (and Russia) prevail in WWII by producing more planes, ships, rifles, and GIs than anyone else? Germany had more advanced planes (ME262, et al) and armor, but we overwhelmed with sheer numbers of more basic systems, right?

Yes.

The money and human capital spent on the V-1, V-2, Me 262, Arado 236, Tiger and Panther tanks, artillery on railroad carriages that required four parallel sets of tracks, and other so called super weapons, could have been used to build thousands of Panzer Mk IV tanks and StuG III tank destroyers. That would have made a huge difference in the 1943 and 1944 tank battles between the Reich and the Allies, especially on the Eastern Front.

The Wehrmacht fielded about 8,000 Mk IVs, and 10,500 StuG IIIs. The Americans built over 50,000 M4 Sherman tanks, and even though they were often brewed up by the Tiger and Panther, the majority of engagements were between it and the Panzer Mk III and IV. The Sherman was a match for them. The Soviet's T34 was an excellent tank, and its 85,000 numbers overwhelmed the German armor.

 

[3393RP]

The Proximity fuse was, without any exaggeration, a war-winning technology. The increase in anti-aircraft accuracy afforded by this fuse cut the number of shells needed for a successful hit by at least five.

The VT proximity fuse cut the average number of AAA shells required to down Japanese aircraft from several hundred to a fraction of that. It allowed the Navy to efficiently protect the Pacific fleets.

But the device was not authorized for widespread use in the European theater until the January 1944 Battle of the Bulge, for fear the Germans would find and copy it. The VT also saw use in the Summer of 1944. It was fired at V-1 flying bombs to protect London and other cities.