A U.S. Air Force F-16 drops a Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM). (U.S. Air Force)
Wall Street Journal: U.S. Military Working to Prevent Weapons Shortfall in Islamic State, Yemen Strikes
Airstrikes currently focusing heavily against targets that generate funding sources for Islamic State.
DUBAI—The U.S. military is working with Middle East allies to head off a potential shortfall in precision weapons which are being heavily consumed in strikes on Islamic State targets and Yemen, senior U.S. Air Force officials said Tuesday.
A key message regional allies have raised with U.S. officials is the need to replenish stocks of ammunitions and precision guided munitions, Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James said at the Dubai Air Show. “That’s one we are working pretty hard on,” she said.
Precision guided munitions are “pretty popular” in airstrikes carried out by the U.S. and allies, said U.S. Air Forces Central Command, Lt. Gen. Charles Q. Brown, Jr. The U.S. is taking steps to ensure it has the right weapons stocks. The Air Force also is trying to gauge future demand from partners by examining their weapons use rate, he said, “to be able to make sure everybody has what they need.”
Update: SecAf: Gulf Nations Raise Red Flags on Munition Levels (Defense News)
WNU Editor: I suspect that the workers in the factories that pump out these munitions are working overtime and in multiple shifts.
4 comments:
Using air platform smart weapons to kill third world poorly educated, trained and equipped enemy troops is often akin to using a solid gold sledge hammer to smash an ant. It is asymmetric warfare at its finest. Given the seemingly endless number of cheap to deploy enemy troops, the use of fantastically expensive aircraft and support infrastructure to kill insurgents will eventually bankrupt the nation employing such expensive technologies. In fact, this is a new kind of war of attrition. Except that the stronger power is attrited through a bleeding debt service leaving the insurgents holding the field when done.
Pyrrhic victories are priceless.
I think you underestimate the training, education, and how well equipped the enemy is. With that said I do have doubts about the strategy being utilized here.
Let's just look at U.S. fighter pilot cost. About 6 million dollars. Cost of the aircraft, about $100 million plus or minus (highly variable). Cost per hour to fly:
A-10C Warthog Attack Plane — $17,716
F-15C Eagle Fighter — $41,921
F-16C Viper Fighter — $22,514
F 18 E/F at US$24,400 / hour
One would think that few if any of the insurgents have this level of training and costs. Put up a fleet of these aircraft, plus the other aircraft used in the war coming from far and near (e.g. aircraft carriers, land bases nearby and far away, etc.) and one can quickly calculate the costs or running this type of operation.
In 2013 it was estimated that it costs $2.1 million per year for each soldier deployed in Afghanistan.
Let's look at equipping a U.S. soldier in the field vs. a Chinese soldier. One author calculated it costs $1,523 to outfit a Chinese soldier vs $17,500 for a U.S. soldier. Given specialized equipment used or carried by many soldiers, one might think that the cost of outfitting a U.S. combatant would be much higher.
If one makes the assumption that outfitting an insurgent in the Middle East is equal to or much less than that for a Chinese soldier, one can field 10 insurgents for each U.S. soldier. Add on the $2 million dollar cost for each U.S. soldier deployed per year, then one can field 1,300 insurgent troops.
This of course does not include all the societal costs to raise and educate the U.S. soldier before entering the military or taking care of the mentally or physically injured soldiers as they return home. Insurgents, if one believes the press reports, are turned out like cogs from religious schools or peasant upbringings. The cost per insurgent soldier is therefore minimal compared to the U.S. fielded soldier.
The argument above supports the concept that the U.S. can be bled dry of funds through the use of cheap insurgent troops using relatively simple weapons. I doubt that the cost of insurgent troops, training, fielding, fighting, and aftercare is significant compared to the U.S. costs, both immediate and long-term.
I would be interested to see figures that demonstrate equivalent costs for insurgents.
B.Poster l think anonymous is actually giving the enemy to much credit a more idiotic illiterate and incompetent foe would be gard to envisage.
The illusion to their proficiency is brought about because thise opposing them are of the same calibre.
Wtf is it with the reliance on these smart weapons 1940 stukas with dumb bombs or skyraiders would get the job done relative to the almist nin existant aaa and sam threat they face.
Post a Comment