Looks like this year is different from last year. The promotions board selected Col. McMaster for brigadier general (pending Senate confirmation). [1]
Also on the list are colonels Sean B. McFarland, Kenneth E. Tovo, and Edward P. Donnelly Jr.
You get the behavior you reward.
[1] CQ Weekly, July 21, 2008, Pg. 1953, “Army Promotes New Brand Of Generals,” By John M. Donnelly.
Compare that to a $83 million flyaway unit cost for the F-35. Now, obviously, the F-35 does more for you than just CAS and ISR. But such dramatic differences raise the question - are UAVs the inevitable escape route from Spinney’s “death spiral?” Also, are we already creating a de facto hi/low mix using UAVs and high-end manned fighter/attack aircraft?The typical [MQ-9] Reaper system consists of four air vehicles, a ground control station, communication equipment, spares and personnel. Its per-unit cost of $53.5 million [in FY2006 $] covers the cost of four aircraft with sensors. The crew consists of one pilot and one sensor operator.[1]
Defense Daily, July 22, 2008, Pg. 1, “MQ-9 Reaper Flies First Iraq Mission,” by Marina Malenic.
Russia may be contemplating deploying nuclear-capable long-range bombers to Cuba as a counter to the proposed US ballistic missile defense sites in Poland and the Czech Republic [1].
Yes, I think I’ve seen this one before.
This is largely a posturing move, since Russian Tu-95 and Tu-160 long-range bombers can already reach the US from Russian bases.
[1] Washington Post, July 22, 2008, Pg. 10, “Russian Bombers Could Be Deployed To Cuba, Move Would Be Response to U.S. Missile Defense System, Newspaper Izvestia Says,” By Peter Finn.
