If the branches of the U.S. Armed Forces were to go to war...

[bunnyfubbles]

Wrong, wrong wrong.

Range -- ever heard of an aircraft carrier? It means infinite range. Fixed position airfield and mid air refueling? Those only work when you have air dominace. And the Navy has just as many planes as the AF.

Speed: No advantage there.

Firepower: Navy has all the same air armaments, with a shit ton more ship bourne armaments, including missile launching subs that could torch every AF base before they even figure out where the Navy is.

The Navy could have MORE planes but that doesn't mean they'd have the AF outgunned. F-22s and F-15s are air superiority fighters, they'd rape the Navy's planes without breaking a sweat. The carriers would be sitting ducks.

Sure, subs could make things interesting, but considering that the Air Force controls the AWACs and satellites that the other branches deeply depend upon, I'd still say the AF has the best shot at delivering the most damage in a total war scenario.

 

[Train]

The Navy could have MORE planes but that doesn't mean they'd have the AF outgunned. F-22s and F-15s are air superiority fighters, they'd rape the Navy's planes without breaking a sweat. The carriers would be sitting ducks.

F-18's aint no slouches, and they have some unique weapons the 15/22's dont carry. I dont think the F15/22's would get by "without breaking a sweat".

Sure, subs could make things interesting, but considering that the Air Force controls the AWACs and satellites that the other branches deeply depend upon, I'd still say the AF has the best shot at delivering the most damage in a total war scenario.

The Navy also has AWAC's, and thier own satelites.

And who was called to shoot down a satelite? Again, the NAVY

http://www.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=35015

 

[dainthomas]

What's with the Chair Force leading in the poll? LOL, the Navy would dominate them so hard it's not even funny. Hell, anyone could turn their runways to swiss cheese, then they'd be screwed.

 

[bunnyfubbles]

F-18's aint no slouches, and they have some unique weapons the 15/22's dont carry. I dont think the F15/22's would get by "without breaking a sweat".

wow, you're really that clueless

IIRC the F-15 has an air-to-air combat record of 104 kills to ZERO. And the F-22 is an even better fighter...

the Air Force is all about air and space superiority

no point trying to argue with you anymore

 

[Train]

wow, you're really that clueless

IIRC the F-15 has an air-to-air combat record of 104 kills to ZERO. And the F-22 is an even better fighter...

the Air Force is all about air and space superiority

no point trying to argue with you anymore

How many of those wins were against F-18's?

uh duh.

 

[Regs]

What's with the Chair Force leading in the poll? LOL, the Navy would dominate them so hard it's not even funny. Hell, anyone could turn their runways to swiss cheese, then they'd be screwed.

I don't get it either. Even if the air force could inflect massive amounts of causalities in urban environments, they still cannot hold territory. The US ground forces eliminated more enemy personnel and equipment within the first hours of the invasion than the air force did in the several days of "shock and awe".

 

[JTsyo]

Why does everyone keep ignoring the obvious?

The Army has no planes! Without planes (or ships) your logositics sucks balls.

The Marines have heavy cargo planes, mid air refuelers, etc. They can do what the most important part of logistics is: MOVE.

That's why we have the Interstate system.

 

[Train]

That's why we have the Interstate system.

Also known as the "please ambush me long these lines" system.

And interstates don't go to the middle of the ocean.

 

[bunnyfubbles]

How many of those wins were against F-18's?

uh duh.

The brilliance of the F-18 is its multi-role capability (the Super Hornet essentially replaced half a dozen naval aircraft) along with its cost-efficiency and relative low maintenance. But like any jack-of-all-trades that means its good (or at least good enough) at many things but the best at none.

The only chance the F-18 has against the F-15 is in low speed dogfights, which would be extremely rare, particularly if there are any F-22s in the group aiding their avionics to the EOB.

And if the air battles ever did boil down to dog fights (which they won't, not with the F-15 and F-22), the F-16 is more than capable of going toe to toe with the F-18.

The Air Force only needs a handful of F-22s aiding a larger number F-15s and F-16s to turn any engagement with F-18s into a turkey shoot.

 

[Whoozyerdaddy]

The Air Force controls space...

/thread

 

[TridenT]

Whoever controls the nukes wins.

Came here to post this.

 

[Lonyo]

Depends on who controls the intel.

Air force can't kill the navy if they can't find them.
Navy can't kill/defend from the AF if they can't see them coming.

Army could probably disperse and stay quite well hidden unless the navy/AF can access satellite imagery.

Then there's the matter of planes vs subs, meaning AF vs navy results in a stalemate.

 

[JJChicken]

I voted for Airforce, but Army would win. It's all about controlling supply and bunkering down and lasting.