How we contribute (Continued):  Thinking outside the box

FIGHTERS FOR OTW OPERATIONS

We have developed a concept for a special class of airborne weapons which include a Multi-role Maritime Fighter (MRMF) designed exclusively for the U.S. Marine Corps (USMC). This concept goes against the current "in the box" thinking which suggests that it is more economical to make weapons that can be used by as many of our military services as possible.  Sad to say, this notion usually results in weapons systems that are far too costly, mainly because every branch of the military has its own special requirements; and, when all these requirements are accommodated, the weapon system ends up being very costly, often over weight and always produced over too long a period of scheduled development. As a result, when these weapon systems become operational, the requirements of the military services have changed drastically. An example of this "in the box" thinking is the Joint Strike Fighter, the JSF or F-35.

THE F-35 FIGHTER IS A SUPERB WEAPON

We certainly admire the F-35 development for its truly exceptional achievements. We are not here to criticize it in any way; however,  putting all your eggs in one basket is a risky business when OTW operations come in to play.  For this reason, we believe it more prudent not to abandon the special needs which arise across the military services as circumstances evolve.

THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY

The good thing about the U.S. Defense establishment is that decisions are made by the political leadership while the actions (to effect  those decisions) are carried out by the military.  In conventional warfare, the military services have been equipped to deal with most aspects of warfighter operations; OTW is another matter.

The bad thing about OTW operations is that the U.S. military is often sadly equipped to deal with operations whose initiatives are entirely under the control of forces beyond the scope of consideration within U.S. political leadership.  Iraq and Afghanistan are prime examples of evolving OTW operations for which the military is held responsible; but, for which they are only equipped with conventional weapons and intelligence services.

The ugly thing about insurgent OTW operations is that the enemy can play a game that ignores, or largely avoids, the conventional rules of military engagement. In OTW, the enemy is free to play chess while the U.S. military is currently equipped only to play checkers. Sadly, the rules for each game differ.

The goal in playing checkers is to exhaust all the resources of your opponent in direct confrontation. In chess, resources are of little consequence.  In chess, the game is over when the king is taken. Chess originated in India and soon moved to Persia. Osama bin Laden is playing a smart game of chess.

Opinions expressed on these pages are solely those of the author, a retired registered professional engineer (by examination) in aeronautical & electrical  engineering, who was also a USAF fighter pilot with credentials that include a PhD in Physics.