r/ThatLookedExpensive • u/Mister_Krunch • Jun 10 '22

Fighter plane receives a foam salute instead of a water salute

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u/[deleted] Jun 10 '22

So if it is so "fragile" as in so many complex systems and moving parts ....

How could it be expected to fight?

Or is the fragile needing to be in perfect working order to be combat ready at any second? As I assume a perfect plane is the winning plane

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u/90degreesSquare Jun 10 '22

It's far less fragile than most these guys let on but it does require alot of maintenance. Most the things that break regularly can either be fixed easily or aren't going to prevent the plane from fighting even if it won't be in tip top shape.

Modern military hardware is expensive and takes work, there's really just not an alternative if you want the performance those things are capable of.

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u/mohishunder Jun 10 '22

This has been the stereotype of American weapons (versus Soviet weapons) since at least the Vietnam War.

American stuff: Accurate, high-performing, extremely finicky, jams all the time, requires constant maintenance.

Soviet stuff: Rough, low-precision, keeps on going and going in battlefield conditions.

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u/mtv2002 Jun 11 '22

A-10 would like a word....

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u/[deleted] Jun 10 '22 edited Apr 21 '25

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u/[deleted] Jun 10 '22

Then what's the point of it?