Brett327 said:
Nobody EVER accused Meat of being smart.
Brett
Absolutely.
Anyway, I agree on the skill of todays Fighter Attack Guys (I'll avoid the inevitable acronym). The preflight planning today is just as exhaustive as it was in the days of the Intruder if not more so. IMHO, where the Intruder (or any two seat platform (Tomcat and Rhino F included)) is in the area of the high workload, in close, flex in flight game. I did not just drop on coordinates, I had to study and find the target use OAPs, FLIR, and laser. Mobile targets and TST is a lot of fun. Nowadays, the 90% of targeting is done on the ground, not in flight.
I will say that during Fallon, the Intruders were averaging 90%+ bombs on target first pass versus approx 70% for our single seat brethern.
Imagine if you will, a squadron of A-6F's. APG-73 radar, two AIM-120 stations, ring laser gyro, GPS, HUD, and a payload of 28 500lb JDAM per aircraft. Rhinos can carry the weight but not the number. You will never see a Hornet (Super or not) with a MER or TER fitted big bombs.
And with that, I retire to the bar to cry in my beer and lament the passing of my gallant steed. :icon_zbee