In 2001 I would have agreed completely with SecDef Gates priorities. He believes that realistically we are going to be fighting guys making IED's with RPG's as the main heavy weapon, and an occasional Strela or Iggla.
To fight these wars we need A-10's flying low and slow, armored copters, and drones flying high and slow ready to pounce and fire. We need protective armor for small vehicles on patrol, and man-armor for exposed men and women in the countryside or in built up areas.
But in the last 3-4 years, especially as our indebtedness to China grew and oil skyrocketed, something else has occurred, peaking with China AND Russia poking around for naval and air bases in this hemisphere.
The Chinese Navy is now EXISTENT as a force in being, and their ships are good. They have Russian purchased (and you can bet now reverse engineered) ships like the Sovremenny Class destroyers (which mount Sunburn Missiles to take out carriers at a sea skimming Mach 2.5), lots of subs from the conventional type 93's built in China, excellent Kilos and Amurs purchased from Russia, ballistic missile subs, and they have committed to creating US type carrier force.
The Chinese Air Force is building rapidly it's J-10 force, the Israeli Lavi fighter which is superior to the F-16, as well as licensed production of Russian aircraft in the entire SU series. They tried to get the Israeli Phalcon AEW systems but we pressured the Israelis out selling it. Notable is the J-14 PROJECT which is a stealth fighter based on the J-10 (in service 2012)
Of course the Chinese Army and it's ICBM missile force is certainly adequate as a deterrent in being, and they have several thousand short range missiles in the Taiwan Strait.
Russia is now resurgent. Their bitterness at the Soviet defeat in the cold war is quite evident. They may have dismantled some Typhoons, but make no mistake about the Delta IV's out there, or the new Borei class missile subs ( a new class, something WE eschewed), the new Topol class ICBM's or what their otherwise INEXPLICABLE development MUST MEAN.
They are a huge arms exporter. Their army relies on older equipment, but their air forces DO NOT. The SU series and MIG-29's are fine aircraft of newer development that our F-16's and F-15's and can now fight with or outmanueverr anything we have except our 183 F-22's or the yet to be delivered F-35's.
The Russians have always put a lot of priority on air defense and their S-300, S-400 Tor/Pantsyr developments are being sold to our enemies.
In short we face about every challenge we did in the cold war EXCEPT the worry that the USSR would charge across the Fulda Gap with 50,000 T-72's.
While we should not underestimate the continuing efforts we will have to make with counterinsurgency warfare, which will be our emphasis, how can we cut back when we CANNOT rule out the possibility that China MIGHT decide we are overstretched and shoul dbe presented with a fait-accomplis in Taiwan, or that Russia might do the same with a base in Nicaragua, or reassert itself militarily in Estonia, or Azerbaijan or Kyrgistan (jeopardizing the entire effort in Afghnistan)?
This leaves us potentially in the unenviable position of Spain in 1700 given the state of the economy. More responsibilty than resources.
That means the challenges we face poltically and militarily must be underpinned by the economy.
TODAY.
That means to ensure our men and women have the resources they need to protect us, our people must be secure enough to go out and buy stuff.
That means secure in our jobs.
Mr. Obama's job #1.
Otherwise our men and women are liable to find themselves in fighters designed in the late 60's (the F-16), with airframes 20-30 years old and inferior numbers, going up against brand new J-10's and SU-30's with Israeli electronics to gain air superiority to protect our men and women on the ground, or at sea, who are facing brand new Chinese subs in order to get the material thru to keep those old planes in the air.
To fight these wars we need A-10's flying low and slow, armored copters, and drones flying high and slow ready to pounce and fire. We need protective armor for small vehicles on patrol, and man-armor for exposed men and women in the countryside or in built up areas.
But in the last 3-4 years, especially as our indebtedness to China grew and oil skyrocketed, something else has occurred, peaking with China AND Russia poking around for naval and air bases in this hemisphere.
The Chinese Navy is now EXISTENT as a force in being, and their ships are good. They have Russian purchased (and you can bet now reverse engineered) ships like the Sovremenny Class destroyers (which mount Sunburn Missiles to take out carriers at a sea skimming Mach 2.5), lots of subs from the conventional type 93's built in China, excellent Kilos and Amurs purchased from Russia, ballistic missile subs, and they have committed to creating US type carrier force.
The Chinese Air Force is building rapidly it's J-10 force, the Israeli Lavi fighter which is superior to the F-16, as well as licensed production of Russian aircraft in the entire SU series. They tried to get the Israeli Phalcon AEW systems but we pressured the Israelis out selling it. Notable is the J-14 PROJECT which is a stealth fighter based on the J-10 (in service 2012)
Of course the Chinese Army and it's ICBM missile force is certainly adequate as a deterrent in being, and they have several thousand short range missiles in the Taiwan Strait.
Russia is now resurgent. Their bitterness at the Soviet defeat in the cold war is quite evident. They may have dismantled some Typhoons, but make no mistake about the Delta IV's out there, or the new Borei class missile subs ( a new class, something WE eschewed), the new Topol class ICBM's or what their otherwise INEXPLICABLE development MUST MEAN.
They are a huge arms exporter. Their army relies on older equipment, but their air forces DO NOT. The SU series and MIG-29's are fine aircraft of newer development that our F-16's and F-15's and can now fight with or outmanueverr anything we have except our 183 F-22's or the yet to be delivered F-35's.
The Russians have always put a lot of priority on air defense and their S-300, S-400 Tor/Pantsyr developments are being sold to our enemies.
In short we face about every challenge we did in the cold war EXCEPT the worry that the USSR would charge across the Fulda Gap with 50,000 T-72's.
While we should not underestimate the continuing efforts we will have to make with counterinsurgency warfare, which will be our emphasis, how can we cut back when we CANNOT rule out the possibility that China MIGHT decide we are overstretched and shoul dbe presented with a fait-accomplis in Taiwan, or that Russia might do the same with a base in Nicaragua, or reassert itself militarily in Estonia, or Azerbaijan or Kyrgistan (jeopardizing the entire effort in Afghnistan)?
This leaves us potentially in the unenviable position of Spain in 1700 given the state of the economy. More responsibilty than resources.
That means the challenges we face poltically and militarily must be underpinned by the economy.
TODAY.
That means to ensure our men and women have the resources they need to protect us, our people must be secure enough to go out and buy stuff.
That means secure in our jobs.
Mr. Obama's job #1.
Otherwise our men and women are liable to find themselves in fighters designed in the late 60's (the F-16), with airframes 20-30 years old and inferior numbers, going up against brand new J-10's and SU-30's with Israeli electronics to gain air superiority to protect our men and women on the ground, or at sea, who are facing brand new Chinese subs in order to get the material thru to keep those old planes in the air.