You repeatedly slam the F-35 in the US military, but the IDF seems to have been using the F-35 to great effect. Do you have any insight on whether the IDF has somehow figured out what the US can't seem to? e.g. have they gotten the readiness rate up to decent percentages?
These are both full of triumphalist narratives of the effective use of these birds. It would take me time I don't have to address everything but I will point out a couple things.
Here's one pull quote:
“The Israeli ‘Adir’ aircraft is the only aircraft in the world that has carried out operational strikes with an external armament configuration, which increased the attack capabilities.”
That external arrangement for armament removes all the stealth characteristics this was built around at extraordinary expense.
I would also ask what air-to-air fighting have these platforms done besides being very expensive gun trucks to haul ordnance to undefended locations. I am wide open to be corrected where they have fought in air combat or flew unscathed through thick SAM corridors.
I am also curious at the F35B/C performance which is the one having marginally more problems. I think the IAF only uses the F35A but I am not certain the build profile of the F-35I Adir.
Thanks for the response! I read those same articles the other day. The "beast mode" article didn't impress me as the F-15EX would be a far better platform than the F-35 in this role. It'd be cheaper, well proven, have a better readiness rate, and have a far better payload.
As to the dogfighting I doubt we'll find out from the IAF given they don't seem to have any advanced air forces to face anymore.
Lastly, stealth never seems to be an issue for the IAF as they use drones and standoff missiles to clear paths for strike planes, so again, the F-35 seems like an odd choice for the IAF.
Keep up the good work regarding your podcasts! I love, and generally agree, with your well thought out takes (especially the "chaos avalanches" we get when meddling in other country's affairs).
That part at the end about not being able to stop it from happening? It’s amazing how many people don’t get that reality. Whether it’s a trend like this or stopping some technological advancement like AI, or 3d printing of firearms or chemical compounds. Whether those compounds are illicit drugs or materials for making booms.
I am always surprised at the resistance of institutions to face the reality of the "flattening" of very lethal technologies to every competitor but there it is.
Institutions and individuals. Especially with the AI stuff. Got in trouble in a small group I’m in when I asked how they were going to postpone AI without unaliving every person on the planet with certain knowledge that they don’t get to remove from people or control how they use it. There are a couple members of the group that would be on that list. Cue the getting mad at me and saying I just want to kill people. Ignoring the fact that I wasn’t saying I thought we should do that. Just that if you think through what it actually means to stop the level of technology from coming you have to do something about all the people with the wherewithal to bring forward that change.
I wonder if we’ll get to a point where we see a nation state hiring out elements of its military as mercenaries to help defray the cost of maintaining their national military. A la the FDF in the later parts of the fictional Hammer’s Slammers universe. Everything from advisors to Brigade/Division size elements.
Hi Bill,
You repeatedly slam the F-35 in the US military, but the IDF seems to have been using the F-35 to great effect. Do you have any insight on whether the IDF has somehow figured out what the US can't seem to? e.g. have they gotten the readiness rate up to decent percentages?
Hi Todd, I love these kinds of questions.
Here's two articles I found:
https://www.twz.com/air/israeli-f-35s-first-to-use-beast-mode-in-combat
https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/israel-just-proved-f-35-fighter-unstoppable-213426
These are both full of triumphalist narratives of the effective use of these birds. It would take me time I don't have to address everything but I will point out a couple things.
Here's one pull quote:
“The Israeli ‘Adir’ aircraft is the only aircraft in the world that has carried out operational strikes with an external armament configuration, which increased the attack capabilities.”
That external arrangement for armament removes all the stealth characteristics this was built around at extraordinary expense.
I would also ask what air-to-air fighting have these platforms done besides being very expensive gun trucks to haul ordnance to undefended locations. I am wide open to be corrected where they have fought in air combat or flew unscathed through thick SAM corridors.
I am also curious at the F35B/C performance which is the one having marginally more problems. I think the IAF only uses the F35A but I am not certain the build profile of the F-35I Adir.
Thanks for the response! I read those same articles the other day. The "beast mode" article didn't impress me as the F-15EX would be a far better platform than the F-35 in this role. It'd be cheaper, well proven, have a better readiness rate, and have a far better payload.
As to the dogfighting I doubt we'll find out from the IAF given they don't seem to have any advanced air forces to face anymore.
Lastly, stealth never seems to be an issue for the IAF as they use drones and standoff missiles to clear paths for strike planes, so again, the F-35 seems like an odd choice for the IAF.
Keep up the good work regarding your podcasts! I love, and generally agree, with your well thought out takes (especially the "chaos avalanches" we get when meddling in other country's affairs).
Bill,
Outstanding podcast today. Just finished Erik Prince's podcast. Another outstanding podcast.
Keep up the great work! Matt
Thanks, Matt!
Classical cinematic depictions of mercenaries in the late 20th Century.
https://www.bitchute.com/video/jD1koBkaMgv0
https://www.bitchute.com/video/kAFEKUAVG7Bf
Excellent as always. Thank you for making me better.
Thanks, Don.
That part at the end about not being able to stop it from happening? It’s amazing how many people don’t get that reality. Whether it’s a trend like this or stopping some technological advancement like AI, or 3d printing of firearms or chemical compounds. Whether those compounds are illicit drugs or materials for making booms.
I am always surprised at the resistance of institutions to face the reality of the "flattening" of very lethal technologies to every competitor but there it is.
Institutions and individuals. Especially with the AI stuff. Got in trouble in a small group I’m in when I asked how they were going to postpone AI without unaliving every person on the planet with certain knowledge that they don’t get to remove from people or control how they use it. There are a couple members of the group that would be on that list. Cue the getting mad at me and saying I just want to kill people. Ignoring the fact that I wasn’t saying I thought we should do that. Just that if you think through what it actually means to stop the level of technology from coming you have to do something about all the people with the wherewithal to bring forward that change.
I wonder if we’ll get to a point where we see a nation state hiring out elements of its military as mercenaries to help defray the cost of maintaining their national military. A la the FDF in the later parts of the fictional Hammer’s Slammers universe. Everything from advisors to Brigade/Division size elements.