Monday, December 3

Also on the good ship Clueless, military lessons learned in this war:

The most important characteristics of heavy bombers are, in order, range, accuracy, and bomb load.
No amount of technical intelligence gathering [Signal intelligence, or SigInt] can completely replace spies [Human Intelligence, or HumInt].
Sometimes coalitions and alliances are liabilities.
Aircraft carriers continue to be valuable.
Diplomacy can't solve some problems.
"Smart" munitions are worth what they cost.
So are "improved" munitions (e.g. cluster bombs).
Air power alone still cannot win a conventional war, though it can make it much easier.
Specialized weapons (e.g. C-130 gunships) can be very valuable. Not everything has to be multirole.
Aerial tankers and cargo planes are as important as combat aircraft.
Mobility is a force multiplier.
Training is a force multiplier.
Communications is also a force multiplier.

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