Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Into the Wild Blue Yonder

Debating the usefulness of the Raptor is certainly appropriate. But when writers put out this kind of idiocy in such a casual manner, it drives me nuts:

The bill contains no funds for new F-22 fighters. Defense Secretary Robert Gates staked his reputation on killing the jobs-rich but well-over-budget program, which has its origins in the Cold War era but is poorly suited for anti-insurgent battles in Iraq and Afghanistan. [Emphasis added]

Poorly suited for anti-insurgent battles in Iraq and Afghanistan? Which high-performance fighter is suited for the anti-insurgent battles in Iraq and Afghanistan? And given our restrictions on air power in Afghanistan, which aircraft period is well suited for that campaign?

Not everything in our arsenal is suited for anti-insurgent battles.

And to make it clear to AP writers, that's because not all of our defense needs are related to anti-insurgent battles.