Lockheed won a contract for cruise missiles to sink large ships.

Now... Not many nations have large ships, or navies.

stuff big enough you'd need a cruise missile for.

the fact that the contract isn't "black" (classified) means it is making a statement to the people WITH those ships\navies.

the reason a normal cruise missile can't do it is they're accurate, just not accurate enough to hit a ship at sea..

so, it's possible that we're saying these are for large ships, when in fact they could be for something else.

First question; What else moves, is "small", and needs that much firepower to destroy?

Second question; is it possible that this contract is just a way to funnel money toward something else? (think have blue/have doughnut.)

 

Yay, Lockheed!

 

I dunno about yay lockheed, they're responsible for the V-22.

 

Boo, Lockheed!

 

so how is this going to effect the small gun boats Pirates use??

 

it's not.

I'm hoping they develop airburst munitions for situations like that, as the technologies developed and improved there would also be useful for hostage, and other non-lethal take-downs (think a REALLY big flash bang)

 

That's always a strong possibility. Lockheed, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon, Rand Corporation, etc., is right at the top of the military-industrial complex.

 

Northrop grumman needs to be replaced by boeing on your list. they've kinda been wiped off the map and are only on projects when they work with someone else anymore.

but the question still remains, since this project appears to have been initiated by the obama administration (who canceled the F-22 because it was designed to fight the people who this is designed to fight)

what is going on is important for a lot of real world reasons

if we actually are flexing our muscles we might get a shiny new plane declassified soon, which I'm always in favour of.

there is almost certainly a new bomber fucking up shit over in iraq\afganistan which I really want to know about, but it probably won't be declassified for ten years, or until russia calls us on it.

OR, it's just a feint.

which would be utter bullshit, because we deserve new hardware after this whole F-22 fiasco

HUGE waste of tax money, and obama and his whole administration don't even understand the role of the aircraft (which we STILL actually do need.)

 

What do you do define as a "normal" cruise missile? Tomahawks are extremely accurate, and ships are usually one of the main targets cruise missiles are actually designed for.

For your first question, I would say...I don't even know what you're getting at. Is there something that "small", as you say, that actually requires more firepower than we currently have (i.e., underground nuclear bunkers)? Nope.

For the second question, it wouldn't be public knowledge that any money is being funneled anywhere, if it were for a program that would require plausible deniability in the first place.

I haven't read the specifics of the deal, but just from what you've posted, if that's accurate, my first response would be that it's in regards to China beefing up their Navy and their plans for their aircraft carriers, which they've proudly touted. How many nations have aircraft carriers? Only 6 att. One nation is smelly, the other likes pasta, another loves vodka, another likes playing with bulls, another has bad teeth, and the last acts like a bunch of cowboys. LOL

 

I don't usually post the links from the site I get the contract news (mae.pennet) because they try to dump like ten ad cookies whenever you go on their site, and if you don't have your browser configured to bounce them, could be bad


The problem with tomahawks is though, beautifully modular, though reasonably accurate in a classical setting, they aren't designed to carry enough ECCM to get them by in more modern warfare from what I've read

they can carry a fuck ton of ECCM absolutely, but naval ships are being turned into floating ECM hives, for a lot of good reasons.

Also, we're seeing a new generation of point defense.

tomahawks, though amazing pieces of technology, can't handle the hurdles that the next 20 years will bring.

these bids don't happen RIGHT when a piece of tech will be needed, they're anticipatory.

but, why does the obama administration anticipate needing this, and not F-22's?

 

In the end, the total Raptors (F-22's) will be 187, with the F-35 (Joint Strike Fighter) not only complementing those F-22's (much as the F-16 does the F-15), but actually filling some of the billets that are void because of the lesser production of the Raptors. As far as that question though, although I regard SECDEF Gates as probably one of the best SECDEFs to come along in at least the last 2 decades, I'm really afraid he's being very shortsighted. He constantly points to the fact that the F-22 hasn't been used in Iraq or Afghanistan, but it's not needed there, when A-10's, AC-130's, F-15s, F-16s, F-18s, Tornados, etc., can handle the close air support.

But what if war broke out with a "near-peer" within, say, the next 10 years? Unlikely, but not impossible. China, Russia, or even North Korea, Iran, or Venezuela. Those F-22's will come in damn handy then.

You're right about the bids being anticipatory, but it's still not likely to be operational for many years anyway. They can't build it overnight. Someone could've said the same thing about the F-22, what, 20 years ago, when it was first being developed? Oddly enough, the Chinese probably won't have fully functional aircraft carriers for several years, maybe 2015.

Hmmmmmm....

 

I think they have one, but it's not at all up to spec, it's a cold war (ukranian auction) relic they bought in '02


edit: that is to say, they've been in the process of bringing it up to spec since then, but they won't be done for a few years.

 

Yeah, they have an old Soviet one they got from Ukraine. Ya know what they use it for? A casino. No shit.

They're bringing it back up to military specs though, and they're building 2 indegenous ones also.

 

I think most of you are missing something vital. The DOD has stated that they don't want anymore F22s. Or missiles. Or ships. And Obammy has stated he doesn't want a new $3B presidential helicopter. These fucking pork fuckers in Congress are spoonfeeding their special interest groups. They are working under the old policy of obligating funds to justify the budget based on LAST year's funding. That won't help the economy. That won;'t create jobs. It will line pockets and put more money into their next campaign fund. It helps THEM and the corporations in THEIR district.

With or without healthcare Obama should veto the spending bill and he has stated that if it contains $3B for a new copter he WILL. And I applaud him for standing his ground. Dems in Congress need to stop kissing Prez ass and sucking the dick of the companies back home and do their fucking job. Represent their constituency.

Yeah, that'll happen.