[Goose]

Bridges and tunnels are about the only places you can really put a railroad out of business for any length of time.  We spent 4 years trying to destroy the Than Hoa bridge in North Vietnam.  Who knows how many aircraft and pilots we lost in our efforts to knock out that bridge.  Fortunately, weapons now are far more accurate and have a much high chance of success of hitting out the target. But if there are no bridges or tunnels then you are not left with many good options. On the other hand in this age of loitering munitions, can you park such a munition near a rail line where you expect a train to show up, then blow the train and the track up at the same time. That would, I think, take a little longer to fix.

Exactly correct. In fact, one reason the new, more accurate munitions exist is a direct response to the failure to bring down that bridge. They would have eventually been developed anyway, but the immediate need certainly lit a fire under the Military and Industry. You are also correct that cleaning up a derailed train mess can take longer than fixing the track damage (if any).  Cars going crosswise are hard to move. Loitering munitions are one approach. Drone reconnaissance of the train departure point will allow either "conventional" drone (or aircraft) response. 

We are going to find out pretty quick how well Ukraine can supply its advance. Russia has finally used a little air power on the GLOC. Pathetically small given their supposed assets, but at least it is something. I really hope the UK can be persuaded to allow Ukraine to use Storm Shadows anywhere it wants, including launching them deep into Russia to disrupt troop movement toward Kursk. Ukraine needs all the help it can get. Putin has already said "NATO is fighting Russia using Ukrainian hands". If Putin believes that, we have no reason to tie one Ukrainian hand behind the back.

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https://www.yahoo.com/news/us-senator-ca...46728.html

I think the idea of using retired F-16 pilots is a good one. The US hasn't prioritized training Ukrainian pilots for reasons I really don't understand. Even if they had, it wouldn't produce an "instant air force". The retired F-16 pilots can provide the missing experience factor in planning and "OJT training" even if they didn't fly. If they fly, some will be killed. There are already US volunteers fighting in Ukraine. The pilots would be no different. Similarly, many experienced F-16 maintenance people would be useful in Ukraine. They will be pretty safe, but not absolutely so.

 IMO if the USAF was really "serious" about this war, the equivalent of a modern "Flying Tigers" effort would already exist. Active duty USAF volunteers would resign from the USAF to serve in Ukraine. Ukraine would "buy" the requisite numbers of surplus F-16s on credit. That is an "instant air force". This force would augment the Ukrainian F-16 effort. The Flying Tigers were very effective but not decisive. There just weren't enough of them. The problem was that the Nationalists never succeeded in generating an air force of their own. Ukraine won't have that problem. The individuals that resigned from the USAF would be allowed to return under generous terms when their service in Ukraine ends.

[Goose]

Bridges and tunnels are about the only places you can really put a railroad out of business for any length of time.  We spent 4 years trying to destroy the Than Hoa bridge in North Vietnam.  Who knows how many aircraft and pilots we lost in our efforts to knock out that bridge.  Fortunately, weapons now are far more accurate and have a much high chance of success of hitting out the target. But if there are no bridges or tunnels then you are not left with many good options. On the other hand in this age of loitering munitions, can you park such a munition near a rail line where you expect a train to show up, then blow the train and the track up at the same time. That would, I think, take a little longer to fix.

Exactly correct. In fact, one reason the new, more accurate munitions exist is a direct response to the failure to bring down that bridge. They would have eventually been developed anyway, but the immediate need certainly lit a fire under the Military and Industry. You are also correct that cleaning up a derailed train mess can take longer than fixing the track damage (if any).  Cars going crosswise are hard to move. Loitering munitions are one approach. Drone reconnaissance of the train departure point will allow either "conventional" drone (or aircraft) response. 

We are going to find out pretty quick how well Ukraine can supply its advance. Russia has finally used a little air power on the GLOC. Pathetically small given their supposed assets, but at least it is something. I really hope the UK can be persuaded to allow Ukraine to use Storm Shadows anywhere it wants, including launching them deep into Russia to disrupt troop movement toward Kursk. Ukraine needs all the help it can get. Putin has already said "NATO is fighting Russia using Ukrainian hands". If Putin believes that, we have no reason to tie one Ukrainian hand behind the back.

---

https://www.yahoo.com/news/us-senator-ca...46728.html

I think the idea of using retired F-16 pilots is a good one. The US hasn't prioritized training Ukrainian pilots for reasons I really don't understand. Even if they had, it wouldn't produce an "instant air force". The retired F-16 pilots can provide the missing experience factor in planning and "OJT training" even if they didn't fly. If they fly, some will be killed. There are already US volunteers fighting in Ukraine. The pilots would be no different. Similarly, many experienced F-16 maintenance people would be useful in Ukraine. They will be pretty safe, but not absolutely so.

 IMO if the USAF was really "serious" about this war, the equivalent of a modern "Flying Tigers" effort would already exist. Active duty USAF volunteers would resign from the USAF to serve in Ukraine. Ukraine would "buy" the requisite numbers of surplus F-16s on credit. That is an "instant air force". This force would augment the Ukrainian F-16 effort. The Flying Tigers were very effective but not decisive. There just weren't enough of them. The problem was that the Nationalists never succeeded in generating an air force of their own. Ukraine won't have that problem. The individuals that resigned from the USAF would be allowed to return under generous terms when their service in Ukraine ends.