Fuhrer Directive FY2010 and the Randomizer Script

While the latest buzz-word in the Pentagram is “hybrid warfare”, don’t expect anyone there to come up with a credible roadmap of how to make the force structure fit into this latest marketing gimmick.

The top DOD officials and the White House are saying no more F-22 production is needed. This is interesting because the top general of USAFs Air Combat Command (ACC) stated that the decision to halt production of this aircraft had no hard analysis to back it up. The temporary help Secretary of the Air Force Donley – one of those service secretaries that don’t bring anything to the fight except purchase of new office furniture and an empty suit – stated the general was only stating his opinion and that he knows what policy is from the head office. Yes, of course.

The leadership in Congress want the F-35. Yet they still don’t understand that in order for it to have any chance of being affordable, one has to stay to the existing plan. Lowering production of the aircraft to pay for the alternate engine – the GE/Rolls-Royce F136 – is going to hurt the ability for the F-35 program to meet its goals. The only alternative if one wants to keep this engine and give the F-35 a chance, is to have the alternate engine funding completely separate from the F-35 program. This probably won’t happen. Even the word “veto” was thrown around on this topic. The money has to be robbed from somewhere if the alternate engine lives. Instead of a solution, we have extra weight around the neck of the F-35 program as it tries to swim to the opposite shore in a strong current.

The Navy is doing their very best to screw up a service that, on the class curve, looks like it knows what it is doing. The Littoral Combat Gyp will go on a cruise soon. Is it ready? It is as long as groupthink reigns supreme at the staff meetings. I hope there is a tug standing by.

It seems that everyone knows that there are serious problems with the ship-building roadmap but no one wants to do much about it except buy everything on the menu that is gold plated. The super dreadnought posing as a destroyer brings nothing to the fight. My wife says the graphic looks like a Civil War ironclad. Very little creative thinking is being done to address, well anything really. The Navy thinks it needs to stop building affordable Super Hornets and put money down on the roulette wheel for the F-35C. Question – If the short take-off and landing variant of the Joint Strike Fighter known as the F-35B is successful, can the Navy then get by with a build of small sky-jump carriers and F-35Bs in Navy colors to fill out some of the firepower and presence? This is worth thinking about. Don’t expect the Navy to push this plan forward. They still don’t know how to battle Rocko and Moose in the shipbuilding industry.

The Army’s Future Combat System (FCS) is officially dead. This may have been a good idea. However the top U.S. Army leadership didn’t suggest this. Don’t – ask – don’t – tell is the Gates theme for the FY 2010 budget. Senior leadership gets a gag order and cannot discuss requirements in an open manner.

The Fuhrer directive has been issued by Mr. Gates. And the Gates myth of competence gets plenty of play in the press. Congress isn’t much more than a randomizer script. The U.S. is making bigger and bigger weapons procurement mistakes which make any future plans look like tire patches to avoid disaster. QDR will not save us.