F-35
Airpower, Elephants and Such (Part 3)
Blown Slick Series #8 (Part 3/3) Continuing from Part 1 & 2 – the “something new” Airpower Application and 5th Generation Aircraft The term “fifth-generation aircraft” is part of the problem facing the future of airpower. The usage of the term might suggest a linear relationship to preceding aircraft, so that one could argue that F-18s and F-16s can be upgraded and become 4.8-generation aircraft, closely replicating 5th generation capability. For the proponents of F-22 and F-35, they believe this is simply not the case. For them, the fifth-generation aircraft are a benchmark for a new approach to air power, and [...]
Airpower, Elephants and Such (Part 2)
Blown Slick Series #8 (Part 2/3) Continuing from Part 1 – drilling down To make reasonable decisions in regard to analysis of future airpower, and also how implementation of emerging technical and derivative tactical concepts plays into the application of airpower, one must certainly have some understanding of these elements: current potential crisis and warfare environments (subjects of future articles) overall theories of airpower (some discussion in this series) necessity for a truly joint, even integrated, approach to warfare that has been provided through experience (to be discussed in future articles but can be particularly seen in the AirSea Battle concept and in [...]
Airpower, Elephants, Fallacies, Bonfires, Something Old, Something New
Blown Slick Series #8 (Part 1/3) Airpower characteristics itemizes strictly enduring physical features: speed, reach, height, and as a consequence ubiquity, agility, and concentration. A relatively high technological focus by air forces is inevitable, necessary, and indeed desirable. But the balance is wrong if that focus translates in practice into an air force that bears some resemblance to a costly and exclusive combination flying club and science and engineering society at the expense of what should be the dominant features of a fighting force… Colin Gray What follows is a perspective of airpower in light of its history, current application and [...]
“It’s Only Reading If You Do It”
Blown Slick Series #6 It is a true statement but not an indictment, that the fleets of the world never had a formal requirement for an airplane, or a submarine, or a communications satellite. Instead, in all cases, a debate was established within the fleet (indeed, within the fleets of the world) and over time, doctrine, technology, people, and organization came to fruition. Requirements cannot be divorced from detailed understanding of their implementing strategy. In practice, the best requirements come from operators who understand technology in detail and who can, in their mind’s eye, envision the new tactics it makes [...]
BLOWN SLICK – Light Attack Fast Pursuit; Airpower Analysis by Boris
Blown Slick Series#4 “… it has been decades since the last significant contribution to airpower theory. Given the shifting character of war and rapid technological change, a solid modern airpower theory will be required for the West to achieve strategic success in future conflicts.” Reviewing Airpower Reborn;The Strategic Concepts of John Warden and John Boyd by JP ‘Spear’ Mintz Out of the process of reading, researching, communicating with old airwing friends, and in addition reaching out for the Air Force side – leveraging the “Rats” of the Red River Valley Fighter Pilots Association, plus all the while observing the more [...]
Multi-role “Fast Movers” – The Fifth Generation
Blown Slick Series #3 Seeming necessary for underpinning all further Blown Slick posts, a summary of the “generations” of jet tactical fast mover aircraft has been provided as a separate page found in the header – 5 Generations of Fighters For the future, both the air-ground “attack” missions and the air-air “fighter” missions will be carried out by multi-role strike fighters, and steadily evolving towards all or a high percentage of 5th Generation types. […]
The Mission of “Attack” – The Blown Slick Series Introduction
Blown Slick Series #1 (See also : Preface to Blown Slick -the series: The evolution of fighter, attack, and strike warfare) He would go on to be Vice Chief of Naval Operations and head the FAA, but in mid-December 1971 Navy Captain Jim Busey was Commanding Officer of Attack Squadron 125 (VA-125), the squadron responsible for transitioning Naval Aviators into the A-7A/B Corsair II en route to their future combat squadrons, airwings and carriers. He had two combat tours (189 missions) in Vietnam under his belt in the A-4 Skyhawk and was the recipient of the Navy Cross, and three [...]
Blogroll
F-35
Airpower, Elephants and Such (Part 3)
Blown Slick Series #8 (Part 3/3) Continuing from Part 1 & 2 – the “something new” Airpower Application and 5th Generation Aircraft The term “fifth-generation aircraft” is part of the problem facing the future of airpower. The usage of the term might suggest a linear relationship to preceding aircraft, so that one could argue that F-18s and F-16s can be upgraded and become 4.8-generation aircraft, closely replicating 5th generation capability. For the proponents of F-22 and F-35, they believe this is simply not the case. For them, the fifth-generation aircraft are a benchmark for a new approach to air power, and [...]
Airpower, Elephants and Such (Part 2)
Blown Slick Series #8 (Part 2/3) Continuing from Part 1 – drilling down To make reasonable decisions in regard to analysis of future airpower, and also how implementation of emerging technical and derivative tactical concepts plays into the application of airpower, one must certainly have some understanding of these elements: current potential crisis and warfare environments (subjects of future articles) overall theories of airpower (some discussion in this series) necessity for a truly joint, even integrated, approach to warfare that has been provided through experience (to be discussed in future articles but can be particularly seen in the AirSea Battle concept and in [...]
Airpower, Elephants, Fallacies, Bonfires, Something Old, Something New
Blown Slick Series #8 (Part 1/3) Airpower characteristics itemizes strictly enduring physical features: speed, reach, height, and as a consequence ubiquity, agility, and concentration. A relatively high technological focus by air forces is inevitable, necessary, and indeed desirable. But the balance is wrong if that focus translates in practice into an air force that bears some resemblance to a costly and exclusive combination flying club and science and engineering society at the expense of what should be the dominant features of a fighting force… Colin Gray What follows is a perspective of airpower in light of its history, current application and [...]
“It’s Only Reading If You Do It”
Blown Slick Series #6 It is a true statement but not an indictment, that the fleets of the world never had a formal requirement for an airplane, or a submarine, or a communications satellite. Instead, in all cases, a debate was established within the fleet (indeed, within the fleets of the world) and over time, doctrine, technology, people, and organization came to fruition. Requirements cannot be divorced from detailed understanding of their implementing strategy. In practice, the best requirements come from operators who understand technology in detail and who can, in their mind’s eye, envision the new tactics it makes [...]
BLOWN SLICK – Light Attack Fast Pursuit; Airpower Analysis by Boris
Blown Slick Series#4 “… it has been decades since the last significant contribution to airpower theory. Given the shifting character of war and rapid technological change, a solid modern airpower theory will be required for the West to achieve strategic success in future conflicts.” Reviewing Airpower Reborn;The Strategic Concepts of John Warden and John Boyd by JP ‘Spear’ Mintz Out of the process of reading, researching, communicating with old airwing friends, and in addition reaching out for the Air Force side – leveraging the “Rats” of the Red River Valley Fighter Pilots Association, plus all the while observing the more [...]
Multi-role “Fast Movers” – The Fifth Generation
Blown Slick Series #3 Seeming necessary for underpinning all further Blown Slick posts, a summary of the “generations” of jet tactical fast mover aircraft has been provided as a separate page found in the header – 5 Generations of Fighters For the future, both the air-ground “attack” missions and the air-air “fighter” missions will be carried out by multi-role strike fighters, and steadily evolving towards all or a high percentage of 5th Generation types. […]
The Mission of “Attack” – The Blown Slick Series Introduction
Blown Slick Series #1 (See also : Preface to Blown Slick -the series: The evolution of fighter, attack, and strike warfare) He would go on to be Vice Chief of Naval Operations and head the FAA, but in mid-December 1971 Navy Captain Jim Busey was Commanding Officer of Attack Squadron 125 (VA-125), the squadron responsible for transitioning Naval Aviators into the A-7A/B Corsair II en route to their future combat squadrons, airwings and carriers. He had two combat tours (189 missions) in Vietnam under his belt in the A-4 Skyhawk and was the recipient of the Navy Cross, and three [...]