An observation and personal thoughts presented for all
SASLess....Essentially you are saying quantity over quality if you were to field more "dumbed down airframes" meaning w/o the gee wiz boxes or less capable as you said. I am not attacking you sir so please do not take this to heart ....Quantity does have a quality in its own right some would say, but Others would argue at what cost, soldiers lives? The US public would never stand for such course of action. The military takes great pains in giving the perception of not risking soldiers lives and is providing the best equipment available. We like vertually a low to no casualty, one sided war in our favor of course. I however being a retired soldier always remembered that the equipment I did have was built by the lowest bidder. Additionaly that quantity over quality didn't work out all too well for old saddam. His armored forces out numbered the coalition forces by 4 to 1...that's T55, T62, and T72s tanks against M1s. A Iraqi armored commander was quoted "I knew you americans were near when my tanks began to explode. That's 50s and 60s tech tanks against late 70s and 80s tech tanks. The battle of 73 Eastings is a classic example of this very train of thought. The America military plans for its forces to meet and engage forces that are superior in numbers. The equalizer and pushing us at a greater advantage is a small force equipped with highly lethal and technically advance equipment that negates the numerically superior forces we might encounter.