Iran Builds Mock-up of Nimitz-Class Aircraft Carrier 298
Hugh Pickens DOT Com (2995471) writes "The NYT reports that US intelligence analysts studying satellite photos of Iranian military installations say that Iran is building a mock-up of an American nuclear-powered aircraft carrier with the same distinctive shape and style of the Navy's Nimitz-class carriers, as well as the Nimitz's number 68 neatly painted in white near the bow. Mock aircraft can be seen on the flight deck. The mock-up, which American officials described as more like a barge than a warship, has no nuclear propulsion system and is only about two-thirds the length of a typical 1,100-foot-long Navy carrier. Intelligence officials do not believe that Iran is capable of building an actual aircraft carrier. "Based on our observations, this is not a functioning aircraft carrier; it's a large barge built to look like an aircraft carrier," says Cmdr. Jason Salata. "We're not sure what Iran hopes to gain by building this. If it is a big propaganda piece, to what end?" Navy intelligence analysts surmise that the vessel, which Fifth Fleet wags have nicknamed the Target Barge, is something that Iran could tow to sea, anchor and blow up — while filming the whole thing to make a propaganda point, if, say, the talks with the Western powers over Iran's nuclear program go south. "It is not surprising that Iranian military forces might use a variety of tactics — including military deception tactics — to strategically communicate and possibly demonstrate their resolve in the region," said an American official who has closely followed the construction of the mock-up. The story has set off chatter about how weird and dumb Iran is for building this giant toy boat but according to Marcy Wheeler if you compare Iran's barge with America's troubled F-35 program you end up with an even bigger propaganda prop. "I'm not all that sure what distinguishes the F-35 except the cost: Surely Iran hasn't spent the equivalent of a trillion dollars — which is what we'll spend on the F-35 when it's all said and done — to build its fake boat," writes Wheeler. "So which country is crazier: Iran, for building a fake boat, or the US for funding a never-ending jet program?""
Re:Correct me if I'm wrong... (Score:5, Insightful)
But the F35 is more or less combat ready in its basic form, it's mainly extended feature sets like the USMC's VTOL variant that are holding it back from being in use now.
Moral of the story, though... the people who mocked the F22 as the boondoggle to the F35 should have been fired from the DoD and run out of Congress. The F22 ended up being cheaper and still better (IIRC). There's no excuse for being naive enough to believe "oh yeah, we'll be much cheaper" when building something like the F35.
The fundamental problem is we seem to have fallen in love with the idea that their is one airplane that can do it all, for all the services. As a result, the plane's performance degrades as it suffers bloat that makes Windows look positively svelte. The best read on this is Coram's book, "Boyd" that details John Boyd's battle agains the Air Force bureaucracy.
The most telling line in TFA is that the F-35 is built in 45 states, thus ensuring it's survival since no Congressman or Senator wants to be accused of killing jobs in their home district or state. Wether or not the plane is what is needed is secondary to that; and woe be tide to any military leader that dares suggest killing it.
Re:Correct me if I'm wrong... (Score:1, Insightful)
You do realize unmanned fighters are unproven. No manned fighter vs unmanned fighter dog fight between two countries who are near each in technologically terms has ever occurred. Unmanned fighters will probably be easy pickings. They'll likely fall for a predefined attack vector like the windows drone armies. Also, jamming and false imagining will pretty much end any use of drones in the battle field against a country with similar technologically development. Also, given human history of IT security giving machines gun seams like a rather bad idea.
Re:Propaganda? (Score:5, Insightful)
Could be just a movie in general, doesn't have to be propaganda.
Hollywood used to do stuff like this all the time, it wasn't because we were actually going to blow up a russian sub.
Re:Correct me if I'm wrong... (Score:4, Insightful)
You do realize unmanned fighters are unproven. No manned fighter vs unmanned fighter dog fight between two countries who are near each in technologically terms has ever occurred.
The Garand M1 rifle is unproven. No infantry clash between two countries near each other in technological terms, one with semi-auto rifles, the other with bolt-repeaters has ever occurred.
Unmanned fighters will probably be easy pickings. They'll likely fall for a predefined attack vector like the windows drone armies.
Yes, and those semi-auto rifles will jam a lot and GIs will run through all their ammunition within seconds, which is why no country will be ever willing to reequip their soldiers. We have to prepare for the last war again.
How did you come up with these ridiculous ideas?
Re:No nuclear propulsion - My God, how primitive! (Score:3, Insightful)
You're right. Iran projects extreme violence inward at it's own people. Or at anybody foolish enough to be within their borders.
That sort of thing results in a very 'peaceful' nation.
Who's Crazier? (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:Mick up is kinda like beta.slashdot.com (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:Correct me if I'm wrong... (Score:5, Insightful)
In all good nature, you're funny, kid. I was 65 a year and a half years ago. Guess I don't know how to participate in slashdot. Or build my own desktop, build and operate my own server, or write embedded computer software either, for that matter.
Re:Correct me if I'm wrong... (Score:5, Insightful)
The F-22 is an air superiority fighter, the F-35 is an attack fighter.
First, if all they needed was a strike aircraft with overwhelming air-to-ground capability, they already had it with the A-10 Warthog (or Thunderbolt II for you purists). It can carry a cubic assload of bombs, has extended loiter capability, can take off and land on short, unimproved runways, is perhaps the best aerial gun platform in the history of aviation, and can take an immense amount of punishment, make it back to base, and be repaired for another strike before the pilot has time to grab a sandwich. Alas, it's not "sexy" enough so nobody wants to fly it. Fighter jocks look down on the "air-to-mud" boys, you know. But us grunts -- I'm a former Marine -- absolutely love knowing your call for CAS is being answered by a 'hog.
Second, the F-35 is not just being pitched as an "attack fighter" as you claim. It's being positioned as the Swiss Army Knife of airframes, the complete multi-role, multi-service, multi-theater, all-season do-it-all flying wonder plane. It's stealthy...but not terribly stealthy compared to other airborne threats. It's fast...but not very fast compared to fighters it's likely to face. It can flow slowly for accurate bombing...but not as slowly or as accurately as what we already have. It has endurance...well, not so much. And it costs less than what it's replacing...except it doesn't. McNamara tried this same crap back in the 60's and we ended up with the F-111, a "fighter" that couldn't fight. It was too big, too heavy, too complex, too expensive to make, too expensive to maintain, too hard to fly...and *nobody* wanted it. Today the F-111's are largely rusting away somewhere while B-52's are still flying, delivering bombloads much more effectively, reliably, and cheaply.
Honestly, what the US needs in the way of air power is this:
- A small but elite force of the stealthiest, fastest, most-maneuverable, most survivable, most advanced aircraft this country can possibly produce (i.e. F-22, B-2). These are our "alpha strike" planes. They go in on the first day of a conflict and kick the shit out of SAM sites, ground- and air-based RADAR, Command and Control facilities, fuel and ammo dumps, runways, and staging areas. After a brief but furiously intense campaign, the enemy is left without any effective way to defend against even basic air strikes. Then the war is turned over to...
- A medium-sized force of semi-stealthy and non-stealthy attack aircraft (fixed- and rotary-winged) which can now operate with near impunity due to degraded enemy defenses. A-10's, B-52's, F/A-18's, AH-64's...you get the idea. These are much more affordable than the "alpha strike" package to keep operational. They're also already bought and paid for, have large cadres of trained pilots, and can deliver much bigger attack loads than their stealthier brethren. This phase keeps up until the enemy is more or less fully subdued and organized resistance has almost been wiped out. Then things are turned over to...
- A very large force of unmanned and/or autonomous drones equipped for air-to-air and air-to-ground operations. These can be cheaply maintained for an indefinite period with absolutely zero political cost should one get lost to enemy action. Further, they act like omnipresent snipers, orbiting beyond normal aural and visual range but ready to deliver a laser-guided Hellfire "bolt from the blue" in an instant. The effects of such constant threats on enemy morale cannot be understated. Meanwhile, our "boots on the ground" are largely back home or operating in secure areas, reducing the chance of domestic upheaval by an unhappy populace over some "neverending war."
The biggest mistake this country is currently making is assuming we need just one type of aircraft for just one type of conflict. Modern wars have many different phases, most of which will involve a "low intensity conflict" in an area where large, high-value targets are not present. Having a fleet of super-advanced weapons which costs too much to make and too much to maintain is just stupid when there are better options on the table.
Re:Correct me if I'm wrong... (Score:4, Insightful)
Aside of comparing an ancient plane that has recouped its investment tenfold with a fairly new invention that still is produced...
Drones have one advantage you simply cannot beat: Drones have no family and no fear of death.
Drones offer a lot more tactical and strategical flexibility. If need be, if push comes to shove, it's no big deal to send a few of them on a "suicide" mission, no return planned. Yes, that's costly, but it will only ever cost money. It's never going to be a "moral" or political problem. It's nearly impossible to justify anything like that with a manned aircraft. Not even in a war that's about to be lost.
You can also send drones into much more risky areas. There is no such thing as a "too dangerous" mission, if the mission goal warrants it, a 100% loss rate is not out of the question.
The fact alone that there is no human being in the crate opens up a whole new area of tactical options. You can ram an enemy if the target warrants the loss of the drone, turning it into a "kamikaze bomber". You can pull WAY more than 9g, to the stress limit of the material. And if the situation warrants it, you can even try to exceed that limit in a "sink or swim" attempt (i.e. if it breaks apart, so be it). You can be a lot more ruthless and reckless to your own material because that material actually IS just material and no human being.