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Military-tech geek-out ensues (again)
Okay, I was right on first instinct. Anderson's F-117A is apparently equipped with air-to-air missiles.
...Mmmokay. This is me engaging my Suspension of Disbelief Engine. This is gonna take some effort and will probably give me one hell of a headache, but here goes.
Let's say in the 24-verse that (sigh) Nighthawks have been retrofitted to be air-to-air capable. Okay. Let's also assume that they've been retrofitted with more advanced anti-radar technology -- be it in the radar-absorbing material coating the aircraft and/or reduced electromagnetic emissions -- than they currently possess. Look, it's either that or we have to assume that the USAF has been infiltrated by half-conscious sleep-deprived grad students for this current plot to get off the ground (which was a pretty tenuous stretch to begin with -- how in the hell does your cellphone work inside the cockpit of an F-117A, anyway?). At least they have the foresight to be launching the attack at night -- I recall an author asking a Nighthawk pilot what he'd do if he was spotted by an aircraft, and I believe his response was nothing more eloquent than "Die."
Dude. My disbelief engine is stalling. I'm trying hard, real hard here. Normally I've got a pretty good tolerance for letting these things slide, but...this is my weakness. Maybe they should've used an F-22 Raptor instead of a Nighthawk -- I don't imagine the Raptor has as minimal a radar profile as the Nighthawk, but it's got to be an improvement over any other air-to-air capable aircraft. Maybe they just didn't have stock footage of an F-22. Maybe the writers just got lazy while coming up for CTU analyst clash scenarios (zzz). But they found my pet peeve and oh, it gets me mad.
...Mmmokay. This is me engaging my Suspension of Disbelief Engine. This is gonna take some effort and will probably give me one hell of a headache, but here goes.
Let's say in the 24-verse that (sigh) Nighthawks have been retrofitted to be air-to-air capable. Okay. Let's also assume that they've been retrofitted with more advanced anti-radar technology -- be it in the radar-absorbing material coating the aircraft and/or reduced electromagnetic emissions -- than they currently possess. Look, it's either that or we have to assume that the USAF has been infiltrated by half-conscious sleep-deprived grad students for this current plot to get off the ground (which was a pretty tenuous stretch to begin with -- how in the hell does your cellphone work inside the cockpit of an F-117A, anyway?). At least they have the foresight to be launching the attack at night -- I recall an author asking a Nighthawk pilot what he'd do if he was spotted by an aircraft, and I believe his response was nothing more eloquent than "Die."
Dude. My disbelief engine is stalling. I'm trying hard, real hard here. Normally I've got a pretty good tolerance for letting these things slide, but...this is my weakness. Maybe they should've used an F-22 Raptor instead of a Nighthawk -- I don't imagine the Raptor has as minimal a radar profile as the Nighthawk, but it's got to be an improvement over any other air-to-air capable aircraft. Maybe they just didn't have stock footage of an F-22. Maybe the writers just got lazy while coming up for CTU analyst clash scenarios (zzz). But they found my pet peeve and oh, it gets me mad.
no subject
We do have (http://www.afit.edu/) "half-conscious sleep-deprived grad students" in the Air Force. They're stationed right here at Wright-Patt. I'll be joining their ranks in September to work on my master's.
I don't watch "24" so I didn't see this episode. I'm not sure how else they're using the Nighthawk, but it only flies at night and is only stationed at Holloman, NM. The Raptor is an awesome platform and just starting to enter the inventory. Langley is getting the first squadrons.
no subject
But given the spoilers on what happens next week, their Nighthawks can fire air-to-air missiles. I don't know. Don't ask me. They also have super-high-resolution security cameras, but I manage not to gripe about those.
no subject
That would look good on a patch.