Sec Pompeo: "Russia has jeopardized the US"
- Thread starter tlwwake
- Start date
Both us and the Russians have been interpreting the treaty to each's advantage from the start, to say we are breaking it because they were cheating is a joke
We installed AIM-9 rails on F-111s. This may sound like no big deal, but it allowed our main intermediate range nuclear weapons system in Europe at the time, which fell direct;y under the treaty limitations to then not be effected. By installing the AIM-9 rails it gave our F-111s forward firing capability ( although their air to air capability was about as effective as the Goodyear blimps) which we then reclassified them as "Fighters" taking them out of the INF restrictions
Yep, I agree with all you’ve posted in this thread, still not excited for a new arms race, however if the Russians wish to repeat history, more power to them.
Fair enough, thanks for the info. If the fix was so “ineffective” wonder which defense industry lobbing group got the military to buy in and waste more money to implement such a “solution.” That’s not directed at you either UK.
The fix was not ineffective, the 150 total F-111s stationed at RAF Upper Heyford and Lakenheath were a tremendous nuclear deterrent .......the F-111s were an intermediate range interdiction strike aircraft and were our only standing Nuclear alert assets 24 hours a day , 365 days a year ( each base kept 8 each on Victor alert)......there is still no aircraft in the world today with the capabilities of the F-111s, they were just to expensive to keep operational after the cold war wound down....by installing AIM-9 rails we were able to reclassify them as a fighter and keep them on station when they actually should have been banned under the INF......I was there for several Russian INF compliance inspections and the Russians raised holy hell about them .......
UK thanks again for the info....I sincerely appreciate the insight and intel. Did you ever run into a guy from Tulsa named Joe Hidy, when dealing with F111’s? Know he was a crew member on one, think he might have been a pilot or co-pilot.
