F35 vs. A10?

[Smitty-48]

Go ahead an take a flyer on KTOS if you want, but they don't make any money, so they don't pay a dividend, they are highly leveraged, and there is exponential competition in that space, so seems like a mugs bet to me.

In terms of the Loyal Wingman concept, I don't actually see that being used as often as the drone fanbois surmise, a niche capability, but not something that will be ubiquitous.

Main issue right out of the gate is more air refueling tanker mouths to feed without much gain.

In terms of the export market, KTOS doesn't have any proprietary secret sauce, so other countries will just make their own versions, so I don't see what they can corner the market with.

[brewster]

Go ahead an take a flyer on KTOS if you want, but they don't make any money, so they don't pay a dividend, they are highly leveraged, and there is exponential competition in that space, so seems like a mugs bet to me.

This may shock you, but some of us are more interested in effective armed forces and getting bang for the taxpayer bucks than lining our pockets from bloated military contracts for soon to be obsolete tactical systems. The US spends too much on Defense in part because certain people make money off that. Just more welfare for the wealthy.

[Smitty-48]

Again, I don't see Loyal Wingman being a big seller, each of those wingman would have to be refueled in flight, without bringing enough capability to warrant that. And it's not going to be the promised price, they will end up costing way more than three million, which isn't cheap to start off with.

Doesn't bring enough combat power in relation to the logistics required to support it, air forces will just spend that money on buying a few more F-35's instead.

[Smitty-48]

To the larger point, the source of all American wealth and power is the Flight to Quality, Americans who rank the military above investment, clearly do not grasp what it is that makes America secure.

Full Market Dominance for the win.

[brewster]

Again, I don't see Loyal Wingman being a big seller, each of those wingman would have to be refueled in flight, without bringing enough capability to warrant that. And it's not going to be the promised price, they will end up costing way more than three million, which isn't cheap to start off with.

Doesn't bring enough combat power in relation to the logistics required to support it, air forces will just spend that money on buying a few more F-35's instead.

There's no difference in hardware between the loyal wingman and the autonomous UCAV. The navy has already developed an autonomous tanker drone. You should actually read the articles you dismiss.

[Smitty-48]

Again, I don't see Loyal Wingman being a big seller, each of those wingman would have to be refueled in flight, without bringing enough capability to warrant that. And it's not going to be the promised price, they will end up costing way more than three million, which isn't cheap to start off with.

Doesn't bring enough combat power in relation to the logistics required to support it, air forces will just spend that money on buying a few more F-35's instead.

There's no difference in hardware between the loyal wingman and the autonomous UCAV. The navy has already developed an autonomous tanker drone. You should actually read the articles you dismiss.

I am aware of the state of autonomy, far more than you and Tyler Rogoway, you haven't discovered the Holy Grail at The Drive, it's just a blog run by Millennial Hipster Faggot click bait hacks.

The Navy rejected X-47B as useless, the tanker thing is just trying to throw Northrup Grumman a bone.

[Smitty-48]

All the Super Duper Drones have the same problem at this point; no Commander Data.

Without Commander Data, they have to have a pilot to fly them in contested airspace.

That makes the Super Duper Drone more of a burden than a boon.

[C-Mag]

All the Super Duper Drones have the same problem at this point; no Commander Data.

Without Commander Data, they have to have a pilot to fly them in contested airspace.

That makes the Super Duper Drone more of a burden than a boon.

I think there is a very real danger that the investment in the F-35 could be wasted. At the rate of technology and AI advancement. The F35 could be obsolete before the US ever uses it effectively in war.
However, that's not to say the Military Keynesianism won't pay off for the US in the end.

[Smitty-48]

The Kratos Valkyrie is just a glorified and overpriced cruise missile, the Navy can do that job with the TLAMs already in the inventory.

[Smitty-48]

All the Super Duper Drones have the same problem at this point; no Commander Data.

Without Commander Data, they have to have a pilot to fly them in contested airspace.

That makes the Super Duper Drone more of a burden than a boon.

I think there is a very real danger that the investment in the F-35 could be wasted. At the rate of technology and AI advancement. The F35 could be obsolete before the US ever uses it effectively in war.
However, that's not to say the Military Keynesianism won't pay off for the US in the end.

Produce the actual Super Duper Drone with Commander Data, otherwise it does not exist.

Most likely Super Duper Drone of the future, is actually the F-35 Optionally Manned.