WIRED - U.S. Amasses Stealth-Jet Armada Near Iran

[pcosmar]

Drones would be the first wave of attack aircraft this time, to expose and target SAM sites.

Then the stealth bombers would come in to hit the remaining anti-air assets and other high-priority targets.

I would be surprised if the USA has a difficult time suppressing Iran's anti-air defense and air force, but the question is will Russia or China actively defend Iran?

That's the wild-card, and if we are stupid enough to War on Iran without knowing then things could get ugly fast.

Here's hoping it's just maneuvering and not madness behind this.

And this is exactly why Iran has a multi-level air defense strategy. A mixture of various types of technology from low tech to high tech.
So if one type is targeted others will fill the gap. It was rumored that they had stealth detection. That has recently been proven true and it renders stealth useless.

Iran has focused on Defense. Attacking them would be a very stupid thing to do,, from a tactical perspective. (let alone a moral one)

 

[impaleddead]

Why, you like turkey shoots?

Ha...don't underestimate Iranian jamming, they've been working hard on it. The Raptor looses many of it's advantages without it's fancy radars and guidance systems especially over hostile territory with a limited loiter time and fear of SAMs. If military planners expected a turkey shoot they'd leave it to the 15's and 16's like they've done with past turkey shoots.

 

[The Goat]

You've got those mixed up. f-22 is a lemon, f-35 is the functioning design. But what I hear from a pilot I know is no one would want to go into battle with any thing but a up to date f-16.

The F-22 is an actual functioning fighter jet. The F-35 on the other hand, has been an absolute disaster. The biggest boondoggle in history.

 

[Zippyjuan]

Curious how many planes actually involved in this "armada". The article cites only 20 F-15's

In March the Air Force deployed the Massachusetts Air National Guard’s 104th Fighter Wing, flying 20 standard F-15Cs, to an “undisclosed” air base in Southwest Asia — probably either Al Dhafra in the United Arab Emirates or Al Udeid in Qatar. The highly-experienced Massachusetts Guardsmen, who typically have several years more experience than their active-duty counterparts, would be ready “should Iran test the 104th,” said wing commander Col. Robert Brooks.

and that they were "working on" up to 54 more- not saying what portion was currently available or if the entire group from Japan was being moved.

Upgraded F-15Cs from the 18th Wing in Japan joined the Guard Eagles. The Japan-based fighters have the latest APG-63(V)2 and (V)3 radars, manufactured by Raytheon. They’re electronically-scanned radars that radiate many individual beams from fixed antenna clusters and track more targets, faster, than old-model mechanical radars that must physically swivel back and forth. The 18th Wing is working up a fleet of 54 updated Eagles spread across two squadrons. The video above, shot by an F-15 pilot, depicts some of the wing’s training

It claims "multiple Raptors" but multiple is pretty vague and could cover anything from three upwards. The article and linked article point out that the DOD has few of these and are reluctant to risk losing any except under very serious circumstances.

Though the F-22 has been deployed before, it has yet to see combat since it was declared operational in 2005; the high cost of the fighter is likely a reason for the Pentagon’s unwillingness to expose it to combat in a campaign such as Libya unless its high-end qualities are absolutely necessary for a mission. But the fighter has also been plagued by problems with its onboard oxygen-generation system.

So we could presently be seeing something in the neighborhood of thirty or so planes total? One aircraft carrier can handle that many.

 

[Carson]

Next year will be the anniversary of our central bank.

Some say that there are only four countries left that don't have central banks tied in with the global system of central banks. When I first read about it the list had seven countries on it. The list had Iraq, Afghanistan, and Libya on it then. Now I think it is down to Iran, North Korea, Sudan, and Cuba.

And I really don't know if it is true but it has been interesting to see how the countries on the list are spoken of and treated.

Anyway the anniversary of ours may not have any thing to do with what seems to be a push to knock off the last four. It is said that the system ours seems a link to was already around long before ours was founded.

It looks to me like we have a situation where some greedy monkeys have a hold of a prize inside of a coconut that they can't let go of even though they see the world crashing down around them. They have shifted so much wealth out of the working mans world it is no longer functioning. It seems clear to me that before they can assimilate the last four countries they will be very busy with a game of whack a mole with all of the uprisings caused by the strife they've created.

If I've some how missed you with my Super Dollar, now may be a good time to click on it below and refresh yourself with a simply explication of fiat currency. It could help you understand what I meant above by shifting wealth out of the working mans world.

The Keynesian guys seem to think when they print up money they make the pie get bigger. I'm convinced the pie is still the same size pie, it's just that they've shifted the property lines.

Can you dig it?

 

[Zippyjuan]

Iraq has had a central bank officially since 1956. http://www.cbi.iq/index.php?pid=History
Lybia's was also founded that same year. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_Bank_of_Libya
Iran? 1960. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_Bank_of_the_Islamic_Republic_of_Iran
Sudan? 1956 again. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bank_of_Sudan
In Cuba the banks were taken over by the government in the 1950's but a formal Central Bank was not formed until 1997. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banking_in_Cuba
North Korea- again, like Cuba the government runs everything but they have had a central bank since 1947. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_Bank_of_the_Democratic_People's_Republic_of_Korea

http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-central-bank.htm

The only European countries without a central bank are Monaco and Andorra. Almost every other country in the world either has its own central bank or is a member country of a blanket type system.

Monaco has switched to the Euro so would be covered by the European Central Bank.

 

[Kluge]

If we couldn't "win" in Iraq or Afghanistan, how the hell would we "win" in Iran? And all these "know-nothings" believe that Iran and Iranians are backwards, swarthy, sinister A-rabs just itchin' to kill Christian babies and take over the world.

If we do invade, and it's under Obama, it'll be amusing to see what the neocon talking heads do.

 

[AME3]

Depends on who the turkey is...

Why, you like turkey shoots?