Americas Defense Meltdown - IT Acquisition Advisory Council

Col. Robert Dilger & Pierre M. Sprey • 161get hit. Effective FAC aircraft are traditionally light observation aircraft. They needgood visibility, the ability to land on dirt roads and pastures right next to supportedunits, long loiter time, survivable controls and fuel, and the ability to fly low andslow enough to find pinpoint, camouflaged targets like machine-gun nests, artillery/rocket emplacements, and teams laying mines. There are several light single-engineturbo-prop aircraft in production that meet all these needs. The candidates currentlycost about $1 million each.Dirt strip airlifterThis Army forward-area support transport, a modern analog of the superbly usefulC-123 that the Air Force retired during the Vietnam War, is an upgraded versionof existing two-engine cargo planes in the 50,000- to 60,000-pound weight classthat carry 12,000- to 15,000-pound payloads. Upgrades are focused on unpaved/rough- field landings and takeoff capabilities to better serve Army units far frompaved runways. The cost of $30 million is based on current quotes for the C-27J nowbeing acquired.Air-refueling tankerThe Air Force is contemplating a follow-on air-refueling tanker. This is a continuationof those efforts but, with so much less emphasis on the strategic bombing paradigm,substantially fewer of these aircraft will be needed. Chapter 8 of this anthology discussesother alternatives, both for this and for other airlift aircraft.Air-to-air fighterThis fighter is 30 percent smaller than the F-16 with vastly better acceleration andturning performance. It will be, by a large margin, the hottest performing and mostmaneuverable fighter in the world – both subsonically and supersonically. Size is18,500 pounds gross weight with a current in-production engine of 32,500 poundsthrust, or more. It will be able to accelerate to supersonic speeds going straight upwithout using afterburner. Electronics will be cutting edge, all-passive with 360-degreeinfrared and radar warning gear. Weapons will be the most advanced and effective(as demonstrated by realistic, live-fire testing) current IR air-to-air missile, a passiveradar-homing air-to-air missile for attacking any stealth/non-stealth fighter radar inthe world; 88 and a new, more lethal, higher velocity 20-mm cannon based on an inproductionround. The small size and the 100 percent passive electronics and weaponsapproach will maximize surprise relative to the always-larger stealth fighters orany radar-using fighter in the world. (Surprise is the number one factor in achievingaerial victories.) Unit cost is estimated at $40 million, about 20 percent below thecost of the currently overloaded, radar and avionics-laden F-16 now in very low-rateproduction. We assess the cost estimate as conservative because this new fighter is 30