Gun Trucks

[Ronin]

Originally Posted by Panther Al

In all honestly, my admittedly scant, research and knowledge of the F35 program tells me its more boondoggle than not. Yes, it has the potential of being a very good multirole Aircraft. But its going to be probably one of the most expensive fighters ever. And the maintance costs are projected to be equally massive.

Ignoring the steathy bits of the F35 program, I honestly believe the various Airforces that are buying into it would be much better served with the latest flavours of current strike fighters: F/A18 E/F, Block 50/60 F16s, Gripens, and 15E's. Be massivly cheaper to boot.

It would seem to me that the Sukhoi PAK FA would be a better choice than the F-35 at the moment. If for no other reason its superior to the Super hornet (etc). While the F35 is potentially a better aircraft. Its a long, long way away. The Sukhoi is a year or two tops, away. NATO countries need to shake the stigma, that the Russians are the bad guys. We cant buy their stuff. Let face it, its a brave new world. Its kinda every country for itself. I mean we buy all kinds of stuff (Clothing, other assorted items) from China for our military here in the US. I think they portray a far greater threat in our future than the Russians. My ten cents anyway

[Webstral]

Originally Posted by Ronin

I think they portray a far greater threat in our future than the Russians. My ten cents anyway

Each of these nations will be as big a threat as their leadership feels they can afford to be.

The US should be buying all the latest Russian gear, if only to see what is going on with the competition. Pilots who thoroughly understand the enemy's strengths and weaknesses, as well as their own strengths and weaknesses, are the most likely to bring victory.

Concrete armored cars. I never would have thought of that. The threat of invasion really brings out the creativity in some folks.

Getting back the gun trucks, I want to put a question out to the community at large: when does a fire support vehicle become a light assault gun?

[Ronin]

Originally Posted by Webstral

Getting back the gun trucks, I want to put a question out to the community at large: when does a fire support vehicle become a light assault gun?

I would say when the vehicle in question is equipped with heavy frontal armor, and a gun of at least 50mm.

[Ronin]

Couple pics I came across

[pmulcahy11b]

Originally Posted by Ronin

It would seem to me that the Sukhoi PAK FA would be a better choice than the F-35 at the moment. If for no other reason its superior to the Super hornet (etc). While the F35 is potentially a better aircraft. Its a long, long way away. The Sukhoi is a year or two tops, away. NATO countries need to shake the stigma, that the Russians are the bad guys. We cant buy their stuff. Let face it, its a brave new world. Its kinda every country for itself. I mean we buy all kinds of stuff (Clothing, other assorted items) from China for our military here in the US. I think they portray a far greater threat in our future than the Russians. My ten cents anyway

And the Russians will sell the PAK FA a lot cheaper than we're selling the F-35 for, because they're strapped for cash. And the Russians aren't so worried about getting everything perfect or making every congressional district happy -- they just want to get on the market with something that, while it may not be what the F-35 may eventually come, is on the market now and is better than what is now available. A lot of countries will see the PAK FA as an opportunity to get stealth at a bargain, even if its systems are not as deluxe as those that the F-35 will eventually have or its stealth profile isn't as small as the F-35 will eventually have.

[Legbreaker]

And electronics and other systems can be upgraded over time....

[Vespers War]

Originally Posted by Ronin

It would seem to me that the Sukhoi PAK FA would be a better choice than the F-35 at the moment. If for no other reason its superior to the Super hornet (etc). While the F35 is potentially a better aircraft. Its a long, long way away. The Sukhoi is a year or two tops, away. NATO countries need to shake the stigma, that the Russians are the bad guys. We cant buy their stuff. Let face it, its a brave new world. Its kinda every country for itself. I mean we buy all kinds of stuff (Clothing, other assorted items) from China for our military here in the US. I think they portray a far greater threat in our future than the Russians. My ten cents anyway

I was reading back through the entire thread and this ended up particularly amusing me since the first Su-57 (the PAK FA's eventual designation) entered service in 2020, nine years after this comment was made, and as of the end of 2022 there were a total of 11 in service. Forecasting the future is always difficult, but this particular prediction aged peculiarly poorly.

Hewing closer to the original topic of the thread, I need to dig through my photo files at some point, because I took pictures of a surviving 1970s gun truck a few years back and I know I still have them but my archives from that far back are a mess.

[Raellus]

I'm not sure if this is real. I have some doubts. I imagine the recoil would be substantial. How would the truck chassis handle it? I doubt it uses radar guidance in this configuration. How is it aimed? Also, ammunition consumption...

IF this hybrid system is real, perhaps this is something that could appear in the T2kU.