US Military Hardware, The best? Options

[*kryogenix*]

I think so. Although I think some countries may have some equipment that is better (Israel comes to mind immediately), as a whole, our military-industrial complex is a force to be reckoned with.

It's funny though, cause unless I'm getting things wrong, it seems like we're still stuck fighting the Cold War. I don't think things like the F/A-22 and more cruise missiles should be made. I don't see the arguement for the F/A-22, if they wanted an untouchable fighter, the USAF would have chosen the YF-23, it seems unnecessary to spend $120 million on something that performs marginally better than the F-15. Speaking of which, in order to get the F/A-22, the airforce tried to make it seem like we were in need of a better fighter by staging a mock battle with the Indian Airforce. The Indians won, and the airforce used it as evidence to support the need for the F/A-22. Of course, the fight was rigged. The F-15's were outnumbered, were not able to use AWACS and had dumbed down technology. Now onto the subject of cruise missiles. They're pretty nifty because you can hit the enemy from thousands of miles away. I think it would be better if we went back to shore bombarding guns and battleships. Although we'd have to get closer to the shore in order to use them, shells are cheaper to produce and guns can deliver more ordnance than cruise missiles. They can also be reloaded at sea, unlike missiles.

So I guess the questions are

1) Do we have the best military?
2) Do you believe that there are kickbacks and pet projects in the military?

[Shahin]

in terms of people- our military isn't that great.

Explain that. It doesn't matter if little infantryman Jim Bob was a 4.0 student in high school. Soldiers in the U.S. Military have the best training of any fighting force in the world. Sure we've got our bread and butter units, but most of our combat forces are better trained and equipped than any of our adversary's or allies.

Enlisted servicemen/women do not even reach the rank of 2nd Liuetenant (sp?). We don't have high-school dropouts leading our troops and making battle plans.

Every army has their mishaps, embarrasments even. Most notably the Abu Grahib (damn, sp?) prison scandal was the United State's Army's biggest embarresment (Sigh, sp, along with that other one up there?) in recent years. The entire army was unjustly tainted for the actions of a few.

I think it would be better if we went back to shore bombarding guns and battleships. Although we'd have to get closer to the shore in order to use them, shells are cheaper to produce and guns can deliver more ordnance than cruise missiles. They can also be reloaded at sea, unlike missiles.

So I guess the questions are

1) Do we have the best military?
2) Do you believe that there are kickbacks and pet projects in the military?

I don't know if that would be the best route to go. Accuracy is a major issue in today's world. Everytime a baby gets found in a pile of rubble, the media creams its pants with front-page stories of the inadequecies of todays military and how it's full of baby killing hicks from Alabama or high school dropouts from California. Battleships are way to innacurate; unless the target is completely military, civilian structures are bound to get hit and bam, sudden media bonanza.

I do, however, recognize the advantages. Shellings often devastate enemy positions and even if there are survivors, they are often dazed and the amount of confusion a shelling creates is good to advance troops under. Modern combat simply requires a high level of precision, even if it costs an obscene amount of cash to attain that precision. I think it is rediculous the amount of money the army spends on things like the F-22 Raptor, but if it gives our servicemen and women a better chance at defeating the enemy and coming home alive, I'm all for it. I may be a little biased because I am joining the military myself, but that's my views.

And yes, we have the best military. I'll respond to question two later in an edit, im feeling like going now. :D