ComNavOps has often stated that we’ve forgotten what war is
and just how much of everything is required to wage it. One glaring example is the shrinkage of our
carrier air wings from a WWII high of 90+ combat aircraft to a Cold War level
of 90+ total aircraft (including non-direct-combat helos, tankers, etc.) to the
current level of around 35-40 direct-combat aircraft.
The just concluded US strike by seven B-2 bombers on Iranian
nuclear sites gives us a brief reminder of what’s required for a single strike. The strike ultimately delivered 14 GBU-57
Massive Ordnance Penetrators (MOP) across two targets as well as dozens of
missiles at other targets.[1] However,
many more assets were involved in the delivery than just the B-2s.
All for a single strike against an essentially undefended target and with complete control of the sky. The following gives us a reminder of the types of actions required to support a strike.
Recall WWII carrier raids which, later in the war, involved hundreds of aircraft per strike.
We need to remember the scale of war and begin planning and
training accordingly.
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… involved more than 125 US aircraft, “dozens” of aerial refueling tankers, a guided missile submarine and firing approximately 75 precision guided weapons.[1]
All for a single strike against an essentially undefended target and with complete control of the sky. The following gives us a reminder of the types of actions required to support a strike.
“As the Operation Midnight Hammer strike package entered Iranian airspace, the US employed several deception tactics, including decoys, as the fourth- and fifth-generation aircraft pushed out in front of the strike package at high altitude and high speed, sweeping in front of the package for enemy fighters and surface to air missile threats,” Caine [Chairman of the Joint Chiefs] explained.[1]
Recall WWII carrier raids which, later in the war, involved hundreds of aircraft per strike.
https://breakingdefense.com/2025/06/operation-midnight-hammer-how-the-us-conducted-surprise-strikes-on-iran/
With the continual drawdown of combat squadrons over the last 35 years, these kinds of operations will become a rarity. The active duty and reserve forces are a shadow of themselves, worn down during the peace dividend and the GWOT. We should be accelerating production of fighters and rebuilding the size of our squadrons, but instead it's just budget cut after budget cut.
ReplyDeleteIt's not budget cuts, it's where they're applied. We could apply budget cuts to admiral's and their staffs, diversity programs, and so much more and see nothing but benefits.
DeleteThe New Transformationalists believe drones and CCAs will provide the mass, at least for the AF. Andruil plans to build
ReplyDeleteon scale of 1000s instead of a couple hundred.
A thousand combat canoes are still useless despite the numbers. I have yet to see either a drone with useful combat capabilities or a CONOPS to effectively utilize them. Until then, they're just combat canoes and we're just deluding ourselves.
Delete