At Odds With Air Force, U.S. Army Adds Its Own Aviation Unit

Raven Unmanned Aerial Vehicle

From The New York Times:

WASHINGTON — Ever since the Army lost its warplanes to a newly independent Air Force after World War II, soldiers have depended on the sister service for help from the sky, from bombing and strafing to transport and surveillance.

But the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have frayed the relationship, with Army officers making increasingly vocal complaints that the Air Force is not pulling its weight.

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My Comment: This was a long time coming. Complaints about cooperation between the services have been around for a long time, but the long wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have unraveled these relationships, clearly showing that numerous problems now exist. Warfare in the 21rst century is now based on intelligence and precision attacks, minimizing civilian casualties, and using your resources as "smartly as possible".

The Air Force emphasis on expensive F-22 Jet Fighters, stealth aircraft, and helicopter attack ships .... have proven to be next to useless in current theaters of operations. Predator crafts, small UAVs .... these are the weapons of choice. They are cheaper, highly effective, and also minimize casualties. The Army is responding to a need ..... the Air Force planners and officers have betted on the wrong horse and are slow to change their course of action.