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Prevailing With The Stealth Triad
By John Tsucalas, For The Bulletin
In the first article of this series, published by The Bulletin on Oct. 4, I tried to establish the superiority of the jet fighter, the FA-22 Raptor. Summarizing briefly, the official name is now the FA-22 Raptor, to signify that it is capable of both air-to-air combat and air-to-ground attacks. Moreover, its key feature is its stealth quality; if the enemy can’t find it with radar, shooting it is impossible. Because of its capabilities, the FA-22’s role is a critical factor in the ultimate success in a campaign, subsequently contributing to the effective expression of U.S. military superiority. However, President Obama, Congress and Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates have effectively set a production cap of 187 on the FA-22. Surely politics are at play when production is ended on the best aircraft placed in service by any country in the world at any time. (See “Grounding Our Finest, Decision To Limit FA-22 Could Put Troops In Harm’s Way,” at www.thebulletin.us )
It is U.S. policy to have manning and equipment levels across all branches of the military, in two campaigns, to be simultaneously capable of attacking and prevailing in two separate theaters. As U. S. policy, this had to have had the approval of President Barack Obama. A quote printed by Air Force Magazine is relevant to the subject of the Raptor, by Air Force Chief of Staff General Norton A. Schwartz, who said at an Airmen’s Call at Elmendorf AFB, Alaska: “Would we like to have additional F-22s? Of course … [However,] I am personally convinced that 187 are enough for a single major campaign. I have no doubt that we can prevail.” (September 2009) Reading between the lines, General Schwartz is actually saying we cannot currently handle two such campaigns simultaneously in two theaters and was, ultimately, implying that we need more Raptors. (Subsequent to his statement, one crashed at Edwards AFB, California, putting them at 186.) Having the ability to fight simultaneously two major campaigns takes a lot of air muscle, enough of which we do not currently have.
Not only is it U.S. policy to be capable of attacking and prevailing in two circumstances of campaigns in two separate theaters, but, the possibility of a second campaign is quite real. Consider a resurging, revanchist Russia challenging us militarily. More than possible, it may be even probable if one also includes China and our long-standing disagreement with it over Taiwan’s independence. If both China and Russia struck together, we would have two theater campaigns, ipso facto. However, I believe we can prevail in two campaigns in two theaters with sufficient airpower, both in quality and quantity.
The FA-22 Raptor and B-2 Spirit are impressive stealth aircraft, each in its own right. The F-35 JSF should be able to match them in its own way, which is swift stealth air to ground attacks. Call them all together the Stealth Triad in the extension of American airpower.
The FA-22 Raptor can operate alone, however, it is most effectively utilized in combination with other aircraft. The FA-22 Raptor is capable of communicating with and messaging the stealth B-2 Spirit bomber, AWACS and the planned F-35 JSF, as well as other U.S. and allied aircraft. The main purpose of the FA-22 is air superiority; i.e., its role is to take command of the skies over the battle area, maintain control, preventing enemy aircraft from taking over air territory, so that they can fly protective cover for other aircraft, warning them of danger, protecting them against enemy fire by shooting down enemy aircraft, and guiding aircraft toward targets, alerting them of the presence and locations of targets, essentially enabling other aircraft to do the work against ground targets, including close air support of ground forces. The FA-22 is the only aircraft that can operate in well-defended enemy areas in any weather, day or night. It’s actually better than the AWACS and, tactically, superior in comparison to anything in the skies designed for air-to-air combat.
Of the three constituting that triad, the B2-Spirit possesses long-range strategic capability. It has flown from its home base at Whitestone AFB, Missouri, to Afghanistan, accomplished its bombing runs, with its crew of two pilots returning home for dinner, just a day’s work in its general scheme of things. When Serbia decided to give up in its aggression against Kosovo, it did so after we devastatingly bombed the Serbian capital of Belgrade. The B-2 Spirit participated, flying from Whiteman to Belgrade, and then returning home in time for dinner, after doing its bombing runs. The B-52s joined in, returning, after doing their bombing runs, to Great Britain, their forward base from which they had been launched. Then President Bill Clinton expanded the targets to include civilian infrastructure. The effect of our attacks on Belgrade was inconvenience, nothing more. However, it did have the result of turning the Serbian people against the leadership of Slobodan Milosevic to the end of our finishing the engagement.
The third in the Stealth Triad is the planned multi-service, multi-purpose F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF). It is also a stealth fighter and is to have priority over the FA-22 in air-to-ground attacks, according to the Department of Defense. It complements the FA-22, and is not competitive with it, since its mission differs from that of the FA-22. The role of the F-35 JSF is to be the finisher through ongoing swift air to ground attacks.
Though the FA-22 Raptor can slow down without losing superb maneuverability, its positive attributes are wasted flying at levels pilots need for that ongoing visual. It can read them well from high altitudes, but no aircraft can distinguish between friend and foe on the ground well below; this takes necessarily low visual looks, which accomplish very little in the Afghan-Pakistan theater, given the successful disguise tactics of the enemy. Ideally, we should be using the Air Force’s A-10 Thunderbolt II, better known as the Warthog. It is a single seat jet that was designed for close air support of ground forces, being able to loiter over the battlefield. Let the Raptor be maximally effective and have its glory through its strengths, do not expose it by putting it smack into the Afghan-Pakistan morass.
A variant of the A-10, the OA-10 fits like a glove with a significant role expected of the FA-22, which is scouting ahead and guiding other aircraft to targets. In this way, both can act as an Airborne Warning And Control Systems (AWACS) aircraft does. Coincidentally, if we are not wisely handling the F-16 in relation to the OA-10 in the Afghan-Pakistan theater, we should be tying the F-16s to the eyes of the OA-10 pilots as soon as practicable if the aviators of the former are a possible cause of larger civilian casualties.
Other possible combinations involving the FA-22 Raptor, besides the B-2 Spirit and the F-35 JSF, are conceivable: the Navy’s F/A-18 Hornet, an example of an excellent multi-purpose jet, the aged workhorse B-52, the Air Force’s so-called legacy fighters, the F-15 Eagle and the F-16 Fighting Falcon. The FA-22 Raptor of the Stealth Triad is the decisive factor in the control of the skies above a battlefield, the sine qua non of the whole effort.
The importance of airpower as a fundamental factor necessary to succeed in a campaign is exemplified in the following example. We fought China in Korea to a stalemate at the 38th parallel. Even though vastly outnumbered by excellent Chinese forces, we had superior air power, augmented by well-handled, easily repositioned artillery. Essentially, firepower overwhelmed manpower, regardless of the latter’s impressiveness. In war, the equation should work this way, and it did for us then and there. It can work again.
There is an interesting statistical illustration of the two stealth aircraft, but, in respect of the lesson that unique, superior air weaponry is expensive, both to maintain and to produce. The Spirit, for each hour of flight, needs 119 hours of maintenance. The Raptor, for each hour of flight, requires 30 hours. There are 20 B-2 Spirits. In 1997 dollars, each one cost $929 million, or roughly $1 billion, including spare parts and software support. The incremental cost of the FA-22 Raptor is $140 million. The lesson here is that if we want this kind of quality, we have to be willing to pay a lot of money. To protect our national security and preserve our supremacy as the world’s premier power, costs would certainly be worth it. The costs will be greater if we don’t invest in our military power.
This is now a chance for us to make a significant stride; but not by sending more troops, certainly not from Iraq where currently they’re exhausted from battle, day in and day out. I think we can prevail with our Stealth Triad, whatever adverse circumstances are in store for us. With the Stealth Triad fully in place with the planned F-35 existing in sufficient numbers, we might be very well supported in the extension of American air power to our continued dominance. In this hope, the returns are not sufficiently in. We will have to wait and see.
John J. Tsucalas, former deputy auditor general of Pennsylvania, is a Philadelphia corporate consultant on finance. He can be reached at tsucalas@verizon.net.
It is U.S. policy to have manning and equipment levels across all branches of the military, in two campaigns, to be simultaneously capable of attacking and prevailing in two separate theaters. As U. S. policy, this had to have had the approval of President Barack Obama. A quote printed by Air Force Magazine is relevant to the subject of the Raptor, by Air Force Chief of Staff General Norton A. Schwartz, who said at an Airmen’s Call at Elmendorf AFB, Alaska: “Would we like to have additional F-22s? Of course … [However,] I am personally convinced that 187 are enough for a single major campaign. I have no doubt that we can prevail.” (September 2009) Reading between the lines, General Schwartz is actually saying we cannot currently handle two such campaigns simultaneously in two theaters and was, ultimately, implying that we need more Raptors. (Subsequent to his statement, one crashed at Edwards AFB, California, putting them at 186.) Having the ability to fight simultaneously two major campaigns takes a lot of air muscle, enough of which we do not currently have.
Not only is it U.S. policy to be capable of attacking and prevailing in two circumstances of campaigns in two separate theaters, but, the possibility of a second campaign is quite real. Consider a resurging, revanchist Russia challenging us militarily. More than possible, it may be even probable if one also includes China and our long-standing disagreement with it over Taiwan’s independence. If both China and Russia struck together, we would have two theater campaigns, ipso facto. However, I believe we can prevail in two campaigns in two theaters with sufficient airpower, both in quality and quantity.
The FA-22 Raptor and B-2 Spirit are impressive stealth aircraft, each in its own right. The F-35 JSF should be able to match them in its own way, which is swift stealth air to ground attacks. Call them all together the Stealth Triad in the extension of American airpower.
The FA-22 Raptor can operate alone, however, it is most effectively utilized in combination with other aircraft. The FA-22 Raptor is capable of communicating with and messaging the stealth B-2 Spirit bomber, AWACS and the planned F-35 JSF, as well as other U.S. and allied aircraft. The main purpose of the FA-22 is air superiority; i.e., its role is to take command of the skies over the battle area, maintain control, preventing enemy aircraft from taking over air territory, so that they can fly protective cover for other aircraft, warning them of danger, protecting them against enemy fire by shooting down enemy aircraft, and guiding aircraft toward targets, alerting them of the presence and locations of targets, essentially enabling other aircraft to do the work against ground targets, including close air support of ground forces. The FA-22 is the only aircraft that can operate in well-defended enemy areas in any weather, day or night. It’s actually better than the AWACS and, tactically, superior in comparison to anything in the skies designed for air-to-air combat.
Of the three constituting that triad, the B2-Spirit possesses long-range strategic capability. It has flown from its home base at Whitestone AFB, Missouri, to Afghanistan, accomplished its bombing runs, with its crew of two pilots returning home for dinner, just a day’s work in its general scheme of things. When Serbia decided to give up in its aggression against Kosovo, it did so after we devastatingly bombed the Serbian capital of Belgrade. The B-2 Spirit participated, flying from Whiteman to Belgrade, and then returning home in time for dinner, after doing its bombing runs. The B-52s joined in, returning, after doing their bombing runs, to Great Britain, their forward base from which they had been launched. Then President Bill Clinton expanded the targets to include civilian infrastructure. The effect of our attacks on Belgrade was inconvenience, nothing more. However, it did have the result of turning the Serbian people against the leadership of Slobodan Milosevic to the end of our finishing the engagement.
The third in the Stealth Triad is the planned multi-service, multi-purpose F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF). It is also a stealth fighter and is to have priority over the FA-22 in air-to-ground attacks, according to the Department of Defense. It complements the FA-22, and is not competitive with it, since its mission differs from that of the FA-22. The role of the F-35 JSF is to be the finisher through ongoing swift air to ground attacks.
Though the FA-22 Raptor can slow down without losing superb maneuverability, its positive attributes are wasted flying at levels pilots need for that ongoing visual. It can read them well from high altitudes, but no aircraft can distinguish between friend and foe on the ground well below; this takes necessarily low visual looks, which accomplish very little in the Afghan-Pakistan theater, given the successful disguise tactics of the enemy. Ideally, we should be using the Air Force’s A-10 Thunderbolt II, better known as the Warthog. It is a single seat jet that was designed for close air support of ground forces, being able to loiter over the battlefield. Let the Raptor be maximally effective and have its glory through its strengths, do not expose it by putting it smack into the Afghan-Pakistan morass.
A variant of the A-10, the OA-10 fits like a glove with a significant role expected of the FA-22, which is scouting ahead and guiding other aircraft to targets. In this way, both can act as an Airborne Warning And Control Systems (AWACS) aircraft does. Coincidentally, if we are not wisely handling the F-16 in relation to the OA-10 in the Afghan-Pakistan theater, we should be tying the F-16s to the eyes of the OA-10 pilots as soon as practicable if the aviators of the former are a possible cause of larger civilian casualties.
Other possible combinations involving the FA-22 Raptor, besides the B-2 Spirit and the F-35 JSF, are conceivable: the Navy’s F/A-18 Hornet, an example of an excellent multi-purpose jet, the aged workhorse B-52, the Air Force’s so-called legacy fighters, the F-15 Eagle and the F-16 Fighting Falcon. The FA-22 Raptor of the Stealth Triad is the decisive factor in the control of the skies above a battlefield, the sine qua non of the whole effort.
The importance of airpower as a fundamental factor necessary to succeed in a campaign is exemplified in the following example. We fought China in Korea to a stalemate at the 38th parallel. Even though vastly outnumbered by excellent Chinese forces, we had superior air power, augmented by well-handled, easily repositioned artillery. Essentially, firepower overwhelmed manpower, regardless of the latter’s impressiveness. In war, the equation should work this way, and it did for us then and there. It can work again.
There is an interesting statistical illustration of the two stealth aircraft, but, in respect of the lesson that unique, superior air weaponry is expensive, both to maintain and to produce. The Spirit, for each hour of flight, needs 119 hours of maintenance. The Raptor, for each hour of flight, requires 30 hours. There are 20 B-2 Spirits. In 1997 dollars, each one cost $929 million, or roughly $1 billion, including spare parts and software support. The incremental cost of the FA-22 Raptor is $140 million. The lesson here is that if we want this kind of quality, we have to be willing to pay a lot of money. To protect our national security and preserve our supremacy as the world’s premier power, costs would certainly be worth it. The costs will be greater if we don’t invest in our military power.
This is now a chance for us to make a significant stride; but not by sending more troops, certainly not from Iraq where currently they’re exhausted from battle, day in and day out. I think we can prevail with our Stealth Triad, whatever adverse circumstances are in store for us. With the Stealth Triad fully in place with the planned F-35 existing in sufficient numbers, we might be very well supported in the extension of American air power to our continued dominance. In this hope, the returns are not sufficiently in. We will have to wait and see.
John J. Tsucalas, former deputy auditor general of Pennsylvania, is a Philadelphia corporate consultant on finance. He can be reached at tsucalas@verizon.net.
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