Dark Angel - Dark Angel - Get To Know Me #9 - Ad Infinitum - Page 16

**The Happy Psycho** · 10-06-2008, 03:33 PM

Oh my god. This is quite possibly the funniest thing the US government has ever said....

State Department spokesman Sean McCormack replying to a reporter asking about the Russian ships heading to Venezuela..."We'll see if they actually make it there, somebody told me they had a tugboat accompanying them in case they break down along the way. It was very interesting that they found some ships that could actually make it that far down to Venezuela."

**Cryostar** · 10-07-2008, 05:20 AM

When did the state department get a sense of humor?

**The Happy Psycho** · 10-07-2008, 04:56 PM

I don't know, but I wish I could find a clip of that on youtube.

Rumor has it that the Air Force is planning a small scale production of its previously cancelled Valkyrie deep penetration supersonic bomber. Probably just saber rattling, but isn't that how the first Cold War started?

SRu · 10-07-2008, 06:28 PM

Holy crap!

I remembered my password.

Hi guys, gals, mutants. What is new?

**The Happy Psycho** · 10-08-2008, 03:18 AM

Do my eyes deceive me? SRu? Its good to see you're alive.

**Cryostar** · 10-08-2008, 05:33 AM

No Cr@p....what's been going on SRu?

They're going to re-ignite the XB-70 project? Seriously? Where'd you read this? That'd be cool, it was such a fun looking airplane, even if one of them crashed.

I heard a bit more about this. The pair of TU-160 blackjacks that they flew to Venezuela are still there, apparently they broke down and can't fly back. That's kind of embarrassing.

**The Happy Psycho** · 10-08-2008, 01:31 PM

That is awesome. We can put an aging B52 in the air and let it circumnavigate the globe. And Russia can't find its way home from Venezuela.

I can't remember where I read that. I doubt it'll happen, it'd pull money away from the UAV programs.

SRu · 10-08-2008, 07:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Happy Psycho (View Post)

Do my eyes deceive me? SRu? Its good to see you're alive.

Yep, it's me!

**The Happy Psycho** · 10-09-2008, 03:14 AM

Long time no see. How ya been?

**Cryostar** · 10-09-2008, 04:59 AM

Yeah, how have you been handling the great Credit Crunch?

It might, but they're pulling money away from UAV already for other things, like the F35, which is in trouble already.

**The Happy Psycho** · 10-09-2008, 04:54 PM

I thought the F35 was the Navy's answer to the F22.

**Cryostar** · 10-10-2008, 04:45 AM

It is....and it's not working so well right now. Tons of mechanical and electronic problems. It's way over budget as well.

I wish that X-45 UCAV would have been bought instead. That's a keen fighter.

Pempees · 10-10-2008, 05:40 AM

What a hec are you talking about?

**Cryostar** · 10-11-2008, 06:41 AM

4th generation fighters that are being produced (airplanes).

Right now, the U.S. is producing 2 new fighters to replace the F-15 and F-16 squadrons that we have, the F-22 Raptor and the F-35 Lightning II. both of these fighters are have enormous amounts of trouble, especially given their price tag. The 22 is 280 million a plane. The 35 is around 130. So, some other companies have built cheaper, unmanned planes. Now we have the arguement (which doesn't get made in washington, because Dick Cheney's wife sits on Lockheed Martin's board of directors) about which is better. I can get 1x22 for 280 million, or I can get 6 x-45 UCAV (unmanned fighters) for a little cheaper (say 260). I would bet that those 6 fighters can take down the 1 22 with less than 30% casualty rate, on top of that, there's no loss of life when the UCAV goes down, the pilot is sitting in Nevada or on a carrier.

**The Happy Psycho** · 10-12-2008, 04:14 AM

I've never been a big fan of unmanned fighters.