XPost: talk.politics.misc, alt.military, alt.fan.rush-limbaugh

https://www.zerohedge.com/military/usaf-sends-classified-solicitation-sixth-gen-fighters-military-industrial-complex

The US Air Force revealed days ago a classified solicitation
to the military-industrial complex for a new stealth six-
generation crewed tactical jet that will replace the Lockheed
Martin F-22 Raptor. The effort is part of the service's Next
Generation Air Dominance modernization initiative (NGAD) that
will award a contract in 2024 to either Lockheed Martin Corp.,
Boeing Co., or Northrop Grumman Corp. to produce the new fighter
jet that will be combat-ready sometime in the 2030s.

"This solicitation release formally begins the source selection
process, providing the industry with the requirements the Air
Force expects for NGAD, as the replacement of the F-22," USAF
wrote in a statement as it gave defense contractors the
classified request.

. . .

Ummm ... ok ... but are crewed aircraft yesterday's
solution to yesterday's threats ???

We spent a lot of money in the 1920s/30s on big
battleships. By 1941 they were of little use -
the aircraft carrier became THE Weapon.

Now even the conventional aircraft carrier may be
passe' ....

The Chinese have been working furiously on 'drone'
tech with 'AI' brains. By all reports they're at
least five years ahead of the West in that respect.
Note that Xi has a few carriers - but despite his
resources only a few. I think he's been advised to
put money elsewhere - into real 'next-gen' weapons.

AI fighters/bombers are not limited by soft squishy
humans inside - they could do 25-G maneuvers and
looks like the AIs can do it all more precisely.
Human-guided, semi-autonomous, fully-autonomous,
swarm logic capable. It's increasingly a conceit
that "humans will always be better". Oh yea,
sans humans, those aircraft would be a lot cheaper
to make - so you can field a lot MORE of them.
Variously attributed to Stalin and a few others is
the phrase "Quantity has a quality all of its own".

"Carriers" - I predict more, smaller, ships - eventually
with NO humans on-board. They'll be AI robots too, handle
most everything, will be smaller targets, quicker,
and with few/no humans will again be a lot cheaper.
For now some humans will be required - mostly as fix-it
monkeys.

The military and pols DO want to be able to blow up
shit - but, in the West, agonize over body counts.
Well, nobody will mourn for Drone-AIF552391 ... it's
"politically safer".

And "boots on the ground" ? Humans still, for now, but :
https://www.bostondynamics.com/atlas

If he only had a brain ... oh, wait ..........

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