From the Wall Street Journal-OpEd

[ratcatcher55]

http://www.warisboring.com/2010/12/29/chengdu-j-20-chinas-first-stealth-fighter/

For months there had been rumblings on Chinese Internet forums: rumors of photos quickly suppressed by censors. Word was, China’s first stealth fighter prototype, the Chengdu J-20, was nearing its inaugural flight. On Christmas Day, photos finally surfaced on-line — and stayed there. It was official: Beijing now possesses an apparently flyable prototype fifth-generation fighter, making it only the third country after Russia and the U.S. to join the stealth club.

The J-20 appears to share design characteristics with earlier stealth types. It has the same angled chin as the Lockheed Martin F-22 and F-35, plus those jets’ all-moving tailplanes. Its twin engines are probably Russian-made 117S models. Like the Russian T-50, it’s big: an estimated 70 feet, compared to 66 for the T-50, just over 60 for the F-22 and the F-35′s 50. “The bigger that the aircraft is, the more likely it is that it is a bomber as much as, if not more than, a fighter,” Ares‘ Bill Sweetman noted.

Is the J-20 intended as a production program? If so, how soon might it enter service? There’s no way to know for sure, but Sweetman stressed that the J-20 might not spend as long in development as, say, the F-22 and F-35, both of which required 15 years from demonstrator first flight to service-entry. “We don’t have a pattern for Chinese major programs,” Sweetman warned.

If it enters service, and enters service fast, the J-20 could help China flesh out its still largely outdated fleet of some 1,500 fighters, bringing Beijing closer to achieving air parity against its local coalition of rival countries: the U.S., Taiwan, Vietnam, Japan, South Korea and India. Even with the J-20, China will be overall outnumbered and behind technologically — but much less so.

The J-20′s first flight should occur any day now.

[jnevis]

I disagree that the cost is more and the return isn't worth it for civilians and contractors, to a point.  My billet is charged to the gov't at say $200K/yr.  Most of that is overhead costs for a desk, computer, phone, plus the company overhead for people that aren't directly on the contract; payroll, contractsl/egal, and upper management.  So if you look at it its actually three-four paychecks per contract man-year.  Now you're on the same pay level as a mid-career E-5, but he would also be getting housing, possible education payouts, and health care.  We're doing basically the same job but he's being pulled off for military training, retirement ceremonies, guard duty, and all the other piddly BS all Services task people with outside their regular job.  I am only tasked with fixing stuff and not a whole lot else.  I have to pay into my retirement and health care.  My house and utilities aren't paid for (although Service memebers on bases in HI are starting to get utility bills).  Are there civilains and contactors that are "less than stellar" performers that could really use to be sent to somewhere else, sure.  Like I said before there are a lot of jobs that military members cannot and should not be responsible for.  I don't think it is a good use of taxpayer dollars to send a Service member to handle Foriegn Military Sales, Contract/Financial Management, and Depot level work.  They are better utilized at the unit level.  There is also something to be said for contiuity.  Every two-four years all of the "corprate knowledge" of a command has turned over and has to be retaught.  The civilian personnel, here at least may move around a little but there is always a direct line to "that guy" that designed/built it first.

Should contractors or civilians be taking overseas billets or large portions of the Shore/stateside billets mid-career, junior Service members could fill, no.  Johny Blackwater has no reason to be in Iraq/Afghanistan instead of Joe Grunt.  The whole reason companies like that exhist is we've cut our forces to the point they can't get the job done on their own.   A lot of the mid-career members that are leaving would have left anyway, they just have a more compelling reason since they can be a contractor.  They quickly find out that the 2-3 times the pay really isn't that much take-home after taxes, benefits and living expenses are factored in.  My pay today is double my base pay as an E-6 ten years ago, but the actual in-the-bank paycheck is only $500 more a month.

[jnevis]

The J-20 goes back to one of the original posts.  We've totally forgotten the fact that we aren't the big, all-powerful, defender of freedom we used to be.  We're planning and fighting the last and current war without looking at what the next one might be.  We're spending BILLIONS on counter-IED devices that less than half actually work, and all are obsolete as soon as they get turned on.  Our current enemy is smart and adaptable.  We built a counter device, they counter the counter.  Problem is our next big fight, be it China, Russia, or North Korea, don't use IEDs all that much.

F-22, to expensive, we won't build as many as we said we need.
F-35, to expensive, we should cancel it.
V-22, to expensive, maybe we can cut the number and keep pulling rusting hulks of H-53s out of the desert instead.
P-8, takes to long to build, we can keep re-winging P-3s that are older than their crews.
on and on and on...

[ratcatcher55]

I do not disagee with you on the need.  I am stating there is no money in the bank.

We are on the verge of some real economic problems with major defaults and no where to go get more.

[tombogan03884]

I do not disagee with you on the need.  I am stating there is no money in the bank.

We are on the verge of some real economic problems with major defaults and no where to go get more.

You and JNevis are educating me on an aspect of military spending I had never thought about.
That being said I have 2 comments. First, it does seem that a larger portion of the "Uniformed Services" should actually be in uniform.
Secondly the lack of money is easily answered by cutting "entitlement programs". These were traditionally the business of the Churches (charity ) and the only argument I can think of for their tax exempt status.
But no politician would ever consider such an outrageous concept.  

[Sponsor]

[jnevis]

The leadership is trying to stem the flood and repair the damage:
Navy Times is reporting that ADM Roughead, CNO, stated in June that policy independant reviews have determined that crew reductions and other policy changes have made training and proper maintenance difficult and plans to add 4500 Sailors to the Surface Fleet and 2000 Shore billets.

[fightingquaker13]

The leadership is trying to stem the flood and repair the damage:
Navy Times is reporting that ADM Roughead, CNO, stated in June that policy independant reviews have determined that crew reductions and other policy changes have made training and proper maintenance difficult and plans to add 4500 Sailors to the Surface Fleet and 2000 Shore billets.

Admiral Roughead? Sweet lord, the title makes up for all the crap he must have gotten in his younger days. Admiral Roughead CNO. That's a name to make you take a step back and salute if you don't want to be keelhauled.
FQ13 who ranks it right up there with the late shuttle pilot, Willy McCool. I mean honest to god, being able to walk into a bar and say to a group of women "I'm Commander Willy McCool, and I fly the space shuttle"? That's just an unfair advatage.

[jnevis]

Admiral Roughead? Sweet lord, the title makes up for all the crap he must have gotten in his younger days. Admiral Roughead CNO. That's a name to make you take a step back and salute if you don't want to be keelhauled.
FQ13 who ranks it right up there with the late shuttle pilot, Willy McCool. I mean honest to god, being able to walk into a bar and say to a group of women "I'm Commander Willy McCool, and I fly the space shuttle"? That's just an unfair advatage.

Nothing beats the former Aircrew Detailer on the West Coast.  Detailers are the people that you "negotiate" for your next assignment, AW1 Dickover.  Brings new meaning to being d1(ked over for orders.

[Timothy]

Nothing beats the former Aircrew Detailer on the West Coast.  Detailers are the people that you "negotiate" for your next assignment, AW1 Dickover.  Brings new meaning to being d1(ked over for orders.

FQ's a ROTC boy jnevis!  He don't know "detailer" from "shineola"....

I think every detailer I had was named "dick" something or other!  Of course, I didn't stay in long enough for it to really make a difference and most of my duty stations were like a Norwegian Cruise lines itinerary anyway...

[tombogan03884]

The Marine Corps simply bought the Washington Monument and coated it with Green teflon so it would slide easier.