Saturday, September 22, 2012

The U.S. Suffered Its Worst Airpower Loss Since Vietnam Last Week and No One Really Noticed

The U.S. Suffered Its Worst Airpower Loss Since Vietnam Last Week and No One Really Noticed - Global - The Atlantic Wire
Eight irreplaceable aircraft (the AV-8B has been out of production since 1999) have been destroyed or put out of action – approximately 7 percent of the total flying USMC Harrier fleet.
Worse yet, the aircraft involved were the AV-B+ variant equipped with the APG-65 radar and AAQ-28 Litening II targeting pods – the most capable in the force.
Given the current funding situation, it’s likely that the two damaged AV-8Bs will become spare parts “hangar queens” and never fly again.
A Harrier squadron commander is dead, along with another Marine.
Another nine personnel have been wounded, and the nearby Marines at Camp Freedom are now without effective fixed-wing air support.
The USMC’s response to this disaster will be a telling report card on its leadership and organizational agility.
2nd Marine Air Wing during the Vietnam Nam war. VMA 211 suffered its worse since WWII at Wake Island?
 

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