The Paradox of Military Technology

[thewayne]

Interesting article, it studies the US military and how it stacks against the rest of the world. Obviously no one else can stand against it in a toe-to-toe slug fest, but equally obviously it isn't very effective against counter-insurgency.

A couple of interesting points in the (LONG!) article: there has not been a US Air Ace (five kills) since 1972! The current USAF heavy bomber, the B-52, ceased production in 1962! And it's still going strong. A minor mistake: they state the AK-47 can fire 100 rounds a minute. Heck, give me a semi-automatic with a belt feed and I can probably come close to that speed. Wikipedia says the actual rate of fire of an AK is 600 rounds a minute. Of course you'll probably melt the barrel if you try that kind of sustained fire.

http://www.thenewatlantis.com/archive/14/boot.htm

Comments

[spaceoperadiva.livejournal.com]

If you knew what I know about our defense depots and maintainence, you'd be convinced that the rest of the world's armies are equipped with rocks and sticks.

[thewayne.livejournal.com]

I've known quite a few people who've served, and it's frequently amazing that our military functions as well as it does. I guess it's a matter of them doing a good job of glossing over their failures and missteps.

One of my fav stories was someone I knew (MANY years ago) did a tour in the military, came back and did some time in the Guard. Stole rations, canteens, bayonets, etc. These guys figured out how to open cases of C-4 without breaking the seal. They'd cut a canteen in half, fill the bottom with plastic explosives, take it home and do stuff with it.

I guess they knew enough not to blow themselves up.

[thedragonweaver.livejournal.com]

Actually, we're the ones with the rocks. Very, very precisely thrown rocks.

I love the fact that the more complicated our targetting gets, the less complicated our bombs get, so that now we have these big boms that are nothing more than precise targetting systems and concrete.

[spaceoperadiva.livejournal.com]

Bring on the precision ballistas, catapults and onagers!