Retiring Cold War Hardware

Introduced by Senior Editor, Gordon  Duff

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When VT got involved in detailed discussions of secret advanced nuclear programs, the modified neutron bombs used for thermobaric and EMP applications, “fizzler” micro nukes and the like, other program personnel involved in advanced research felt a need to “vent” as well.
Toward that end, we find ourselves with salvageable sections of discussion that are, from a technical standpoint, not classified, but that have snippets of information that VT audiences will appreciate.
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The SR-71 is obsolete with new solid state spy satellites orbiting the Earth every 90 minutes and transmitting the data in real time. The SR-71 has to land. You have to process the film, analyze it and send it out. That all takes time.
Spy satellites now work in real time and are cheaper to operate, no pilots to lose. The air frames all have cracks in them. They ran out of usable jet engines and spare parts. They had to cannibalize the last ones to keep the rest of the fleet going. Even NASA retired theirs.
The last one was shot down over the South China Sea by the Chinese PLA using an S-300 missile system. The pilot ejected safely. That ended the SR-71’s role as a recon platform. The same thing happened to the U-2 remember. Even Global Hawk is vulnerable to the S-300. It was supposed to be the replacement for the U-2.
Stealth is just an acronym for radar cross section reduction. It’s main function is to reduce microwave Glint. (make it look like a gray or black body with no shining reflections) If you stick a big radar antenna on the front of a stealth jet fighter such as the F-22/35 it is no longer stealthy. The radar antenna will reflect more energy than the entire airframe will. This is why the F-117 has no radar antenna, to make it stealthier. Even that was shot down by the Serbs with a modified SA-3 X band radar set using a slope detector in its receiver acting as an analogue velocity filter. This was the same trick that the Germans used in WW2 to defeat the British window / chafe jamming system.
The Foxhound is a beefed up MiG-25 with newer electronics installed. Its purpose is to counter new US hypersonic cruise missiles that can only fly above 45 thousand feet at that speed. They then nose dive on to the target. This is just good old fashion 1950’s to 1980’s cold war technology being recycled by obsolete thinking generals. Remember when Reagan brought back the battleship and the mess that made. How many people today are driving cars built before 1980? Pre automatic transmission. Pre fuel injection. Pre FM radio. Pre air conditioning. ETC. Not many and there is a reason why. Its Junk. How many people still use a VHS VCR to record TV shows or still use an 8 track???? If you want to rebuild the economy then just scrap this stuff and start over with newer technology.
The problem is our leaders are old school, they only know what they learned 30 years ago. They are the remote control generation, they never even learned how to program their VCR or even their cell phone. They had to have their kids do it for them. They couldn’t even read the stereo instructions or put together a bicycle at Christmas time.
The Polish army still use calvary in 1939 look where that got them. Saddam used Russian weapons systems dating from the 1950’s and 60’s against American weapons systems dating from the 1970′ and 80’s. Look where that got him. Great Britain didn’t even get its first attack helicopters until 2000. After using them in Afghanistan they junked out the Harrier jump jet. Another 1970’s idea that failed. The attack helicopter made it obsolete. Cheaper leaner meaner and just down right more effective.
The Marines are making the same mistake with the Harrier and the Osprey. The Navy with the big aircraft carriers and the Trident sub. The Air Force with the F-22/35 mess and the army with the 155 mm self-propelled gun due to weight, cost and complexity, the M-1 tank due to new anti-tank weapons and the Apache due to new man pads, cost and complexity. The M-16 due to jamming, being a gas fired weapon.
Just do as the Germans, Swedes and the French are doing. You go to the newer piston/bullpup design for a rifle. You replace the 155 MM artillery with 120 MM mortar and rocket systems, you replace the Apache with the new light weight OH-58 attack helicopter on steroids. You replace the M-1 Abrams with a light high speed tracked vehicle that will fire any type of missile you got in the inventory. Shoot and scoot.
For the Air Force you go to the 737/767 tanker AWACS etc, The F-5/20 tiger shark, the cruise missile and the drone. Keep the B-1, C-17 and the A-10. Retire the B-52 its junk. Convert the F-16 and F-18 to the new F-16S / F-18S stealth design. That’s what Japan and South Korean are doing. Upgrade the F-15 to the long range E model. For the Navy you go to the one ship one hull design. The nuclear powered mini sub. The standoff anti-ship / attack helicopter. The stealth F-18. The 737 patrol bomber along with cruise missiles and drones.

Gordon Duff

Gordon Duff posted articles on VT from 2008 to 2022. He is a Marine combat veteran of the Vietnam War. A disabled veteran, he worked on veterans and POW issues for decades.

Gordon is an accredited diplomat and is generally accepted as one of the top global intelligence specialists. He manages the world’s largest private intelligence organization and regularly consults with governments challenged by security issues.

Duff has traveled extensively, is published around the world, and is a regular guest on TV and radio in more than “several” countries. He is also a trained chef, wine enthusiast, avid motorcyclist, and gunsmith specializing in historical weapons and restoration. Business experience and interests are in energy and defense technology.

• Gordon’s Archives:  2008-2015
• Gordon’s Archives:  2016-2022