Yeah.. leave it to Barron's to get it's fact wrong.
the Army's Crusader, a heavy-duty tank and Cold
War relic,
The Crusader is an artillery system with the ability MRSI (multiple round, simultaneous impact) a target with up to 8 rounds.
This link explains MSRI:
teamcrusader.com
And here are some links to more information:
teamcrusader.com
teamcrusader.com
teamcrusader.com
Having the ability that 6 crusaders have, namely putting 15 tons of High Explosive on target within a minute is an INCREDIBLE ADVANTAGE.
It will be worth every penny that is paid because it will save the lives of those soldiers who require immediate and massive fire support.
And one battalion of Crusaders can provide the firepower equivalent of 6 current towed or self-propelled howitzers.
But the really nifty thing about Crusader is that it can be completely rearmed by a supply vehicle without anyone having to personally handle a round. It's all automated and there is no crew exposure to the outside.
and lastly, the Air Force's F-22, a top-of-the-line fighter jet that sells for $180 million a
copy.
This I may have more trouble with, being a former grunt(+), but as I understand it, fielding the F-22 will eliminate the need for quite a few other support aircraft (wild-weasels, EF-111 Ravens), as well as THEIR support aircraft (tankers). And the ability to use stealth practically guarantees that would planes will be able to come and go without really being seen, while enjoying the abilty to eliminate enemy aircraft.
However, I could see building the JSF first (if they can expedite the procurement) and hold off on the YF-22 Raptor.
The key to air superiority is stealth. Being able to see them but their not seeing you.
It's also the key to keeping your pilots alive during bombing raids over hostile territory. So if they can demonstrate the ability to build it cheaper and able to meet the requirements of all the services who will use it, that's great.
But it really appalling that Barron's could screw up this story so badly. We can hardly call an advanced artillery system "cold war" technology, let alone confuse it with being a replacement for a tank. There will be ALWAYS be a need for artillery in any conventional war, and especially in a guerilla war.
Btw, I'm I'm neutral on the Osprey as I don't quite believe it is as combat rugged as existing helicopters. However, there is tremendous pressure to pursue it because of the potential civilian spin-offs for VERTOL technology.
Thanks for posting the article though, John... I failed to pick up a copy of that rag this weekend...
Regards,
Ron |
