USA wins again - Flight World Air Forces Directory
 

Last weeks annual round-up

Combat Aircraft

USA 2667
Russia 1616
China 1603
India 710
N Korea 572

USA comes top in every category - and astoundingly has 77% of the world's tanker fleet.............................

We embrace the notion the Earth is a large place and you have to be able to get there in a timely fashion if you wish to influence events.

Hence a large aircraft fleet, Air Tankers, long range bomber aircraft, and lots of cargo transport capability.

Now If we would just use them more wisely....by keeping them home more.

IIRC its an even bigger mismatch if you look at spending - I think the USA spends more on defence than the next 5 or 6 on the list added together............

That's easy to fix. Just reduce US armed forces pay to that received by the Russians, Chinese, Indians and North Koreans.

Or do like the UK....reduce your force size to the minimum to guard the Queen and put on a Fly Past each year.

The United States....ranked first amongst the World's economies holds a 24.8% share contrasted by the UK's sixth place share of 3.17% share (France is seventh with 3.13%).

If we were to apply a constant percentage of GDP as a rule of thumb then it follows we would spend much more in real Dollars/Pounds Sterling on Defense.

In recent years NATO Member Nations have been reminded of their obligations to maintain each member's spending levels for Defense.....and we have seen NATO enjoying over 150 Billion Dollars increased spending.

It seems relying upon a "Whip Round" method for funding was not working.....and a polite reminder of the need for a budgeted method is required had to be undertaken to obtain compliance with Treaty Obligations by all.

seems to work well TBH - The UK made the Top Ten for tankers (at 6+, same as Singapore, with 9 cp the USA 614) - and that's all folks................

So basically just shoot down the tankers and it cripples Military aviation.....

Well they have done it with the Royal Navy, 2 carriers and not enough escorts to protect them.

A vanity project where as could have welded steel plate to bulk carriers per Max Hastings and saved billions.

Think that’s possible?

actually its almost as quick to give the tanker replacement contract to Boeing - and they're now scraping around for "private sector" support..

That is only a problem if they leave Port.

Not all but targeting a good proportion of them and it starts to become an issue.

There was a book 20 odd yrs ago that forecast doing that but that was by targeting the bases they stationed at.

Tankers are the ultimate force multiplier, remove or reduce them and it becomes something else to focus on. Eliminate tankers for a returning mission and potentially nobody going home.