Message posted by Steve Douglass on March 23, 2011 at 16:52:25 PST:
I think it still is a missed opportunity. Although there may be nothing for the Raptors to shoot at now (and BTW the F-22 can used in a ground attack mode) during the initial attacks (as the article states - it would have been smart to have F-22s escort the B-2s if by chance a Libyan fighter was flying CAP over Libyan defense sites. A multi-billion dollar bomber makes a tempting propaganda target and a a Libyan MiG might have been able to get off a lucky shot. Although it probably wouldn't track - if he could see a B-2 he might be able to shoot at it. Also - since the F-22s amazing electronic suite makes it into a virtual stealthy AWACS - it could also have been handy in tracking Ghaddaffi (while remaining undetected) if he should have had the smarts to flee Libya. He still might - but it would be very hard to get away undetected now. My guess is that Ghaddaffi would send up a sitting duck - to see just how well watched the skies actually were. The pilot volunteering for that mission would have to be blindly loyal - or just plain stupid. Still -there could be still some functioning radar stations (SAM sites) or ATC radar functioning or Ghaddaffi could try to high-tail it out of Libya at tree-top level -if things get dicey - but I hear now that an E-8 and NATO AWACS and various NAVY frigates have the sky pretty well buttoned up. Would have been sweet to nail him with an AMRAAM.
In Reply to: Re: No Raptors over Libya? posted by Mark on March 23, 2011 at 8:37:04 PST:
Replies: