[QUOTE=Lonewolf_50;11343334]Is this noise (the unerlined bit), or do you have a bit more meat for that bone? Can you expand on this statement?]
My declarative is a casually obvious to the intuitive observer fact that long range artillery (guns and missiles) make basing within 200 miles of the FEBA problematic relative to survival. Couple this with diversionary flight paths and the need to carry return fuel the aircraft has to have at least a 500 mile range to conduct future missions. Add this to the fact that Defiant required three refueling stops to go 700 miles in its long range demo, and you can see that the Defiant can not conduct the missions required on the modern battlefield.