[Don Plumley]

The current issue of the Atlantic has a great article about the value of air superiority and how we are losing our edge. More to the point, the continued reductions in the planned F-22 fleet is going to create an irrecoverable hole. Basically for any conflict we've been involved with since Vietnam, we've controlled the skies which allows a degree of freedom on the ground that is quite valuable. But other 4th generation A/C and retrofitted 3rd generation A/C are presenting a genuine threat to the F-15. At some point, some punk nation with some cheap retrofitted 3rd gen A/C are going to try to show their strength.

We've never lost an F-15 flown by the USAF against another fighter. Simply amazing.

I hope the raptor pilot is okay and safe. My buddy the F-15 group commander is at Nellis, wonder what he knows about this...