The Wall Street Journal-20080123-There-s a Reason For All Those Bells and Whistles
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There's a Reason For All Those Bells and Whistles
Chris Daly contradicts his own argument advocating that the Air Force purchase large numbers of "purpose-built," yet technologically inferior planes by reference to first the Sherman tank and then to the MiGs, Yaks, and Sukhois of the Soviet Union (Letters, Jan. 4).
The Sherman was lunchmeat for the vastly superior German panzers. We may have overwhelmed them with numbers, but this was hardly comforting to our tank crews. It is more accurate to state that the Germans simply ran out of fuel and could not protect their tanks from our superior air forces.
The cheap and simple aircraft of the Soviet Union may have been great for impressing crowds at air shows, but our technologically superior jets slaughtered them from Korea to the many Arab-Israeli battles. The U.S. always has controlled the skies with our technologically superior planes and more highly trained and motivated aircrew. That is the Air Force's mission, after all.
Give our Air Force the best weapons to do the job.
Patrick Barron
West Chester, Pa.
