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The Houthis Almost Shot Down an F-35—and Washington Is Panicked (nationalinterest.org)

submitted 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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According to new reporting from the New York Times, a Houthi surface-to-air (SAM) missile barely missed an American F-35 fifth-generation fighter, the crown jewel of the U.S. fighter inventory. The F-35, participating in Operation Rough Rider against the Houthis, was forced to take evasive action to avoid the missile.

The incident raises questions about the survivability of one of America’s most advanced fighters, and raises concerns over how effective the relatively unsophisticated Houthi air defense system has been at hampering U.S. action.

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[–] [email protected] 30 points 2 days ago (4 children)

Millennium Challenge 2002.

That's when we learned that low tech can beat high tech in this manner.

Did they learn the lesson at DOD? Of course not. They demoted the guy who won and made him play out a cosplay battle where America Wins!

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 hour ago* (last edited 1 hour ago)

Did they learn the lesson at DOD? Of course not.

Counterpoint: They knew it all along, but didn't care because the entire point of the MIC is to funnel as much taxpayer money as possible to owners of weapons companies.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 21 hours ago

They demoted the guy who won and made him play out a cosplay battle where America Wins!

To be completely accurate: Paul Van Riper was already retired when he agreed to lead red force in MC02. After it was clear that red force was winning, they stopped the exercise and restarted it with a bunch of new restrictions on what red force was allowed to do. Essentially, scripting the win for blue force.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 day ago

Oh I remember hearing about this but forgot the name. Primo “military intelligence is an oxymoron” stuff.

[–] [email protected] 17 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

I wouldn't say they learned nothing from that war game. They've never done to Iran what they did to the other six of the infamous seven that the Bushies planned to dismantle. I suspect that that war game is a factor in that decision. This thing with the Houthis serves to refresh their memories I guess. At least I hope. Who knows, with this admin, anything can happen