Weapons We Need More Of

Since the end of the Cold War the US Military has been attempting to transform itself into a lighter, more high-tech force for the 21st century. Meanwhile, in a number of brush-fire wars and full scale engagements around the world, older and more rugged platforms have been on the frontlines, holding back America�s enemies. Though none get the headlines like the Abrams tanks or the B-2 bombers, nonetheless they are the backbone of our fighting forces and assurors of victory. C-130 Hercules: First deployed in the 1950�s, the Hercules is one of the world�s most widely used troop and cargo transports, in service during the Vietnam and the Gulf War to the present War on Terror. Our entire fleet of several hundred well-used C-130s could be replaced at the cost of a handful of C-17s. F-16 Fighting Falcon: Designed in the 70s by the brilliant reformer John Boyd, the Falcon is the West�s preeminent fighter and bombing aircraft. First used in combat by the Israeli�s in 1980, it was used to bomb the Iraqi nuclear plant at Osirak, and later in the Becca Valley, the most one-sided aerial fights in history. She was first sent to war with Americans in the 1st Gulf War and is still there today. The Falcon�s replacement in not due until 2015. The $30 million jet can carry the same ordinance of the F-22 Raptor fighter, at 10% of the cost. A-1 Cobra helicopter: The Cobra was America�s first purpose built attack helo. Sent to Vietnam, the it soon became the terror of the Viet Cong and the NVA, and transformed close air support. The Marines chose an updated version, the Super Cobra as a replacement, rather than the heavier and overly complicated Apache gunship. The Apache has had its share of troubles, yet the Cobra soldiers on in Iraq and elsewhere. Honorable mention goes to the Joint Venture class of fast catamarans which can do everything the new $250 million LCS can at 1/3 the cost. Also the B-52 bomber and A-10 attack plane, both of which are out of production but on the frontlines with no clear replacement in sight.

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