What a questionable scenario. Why in the world would we send a mere half dozen Raptors to stem the Chinese hordes? We'd commit every available F-22 in service, as well as F-15's and F-16's. I'm sure the Navy would like to get involved as well. And let's not forget the Taiwanese AF. In short, there would be a lot more friendlies than just a handful of Raptors.

6 against 72 would be the aerial version of the Valley of Death... Has happened before, and will happen again for sure.

 

An upside is that the Chinese combine Russian license produced equipment with Chinese maintenance. Merging the worst of both worlds means that a good percentage of aircraft will be unavailable at any given time. Thus three regiments would likely mean  50 or so threats incoming, not 72.

  

So tanker planes need escorts to protect them.

 

Seems like a sensible thing to do.

 

 

Just as AWACs always have a  combat squadron( flying cover for them, so would you for the tankers in an extended combat mission.  So did the scenarios cover the F-18s and their defense of the tankers?   Hell Taiwanese AWACs and their support might be sharing the airspace with those old tankers.

 

BTW I would have used the F-22 on targeting Chinese radar sites before throwing them into a massive dogfight.   Bad resource utilization for defending theTaiwanese Straits.

 

&It;sarc on> Well it seems that the F-22 can not win IF outnumbered 12 to one and IF it must refuel before returning to base. <sarc off>

Wait wait wait, you're telling me 6 unsupported Raptors can't defeat the entire PLAAF?

 

What a worthless fighter aircraft!

Of course, no one took into account what happens to the flights of Flankers when large numbers of them start to blow up.  Based on historical analysis of similar engagements - even with tough and well trained enemies - the Flankers are going to break formation and run for their lives.  They are not going to engage or try to break through the defenders to attack tankers - not knowing if there are more F-22s flying escort.  They are going to try and stay alive to fight another day - not be sent into the water in a ball of flame.

 

This sounds like a typical "wargame" scenario driven by guys sitting safely on the ground who never die and thus push headlong into high loss battles.  They KNOW the exact number of forces on both side and thus are able to make tactical decisions based on attrition rate tables - not based on what real pilots do.

Did Kamikaze pilots run away in the face of onslaught by Corsairs and Hellcats?

 

 

Not the same thing is it?  Kamikaze's were on a one-way mission. SU-27's are not, they are a front-line, THE front-line PLAAF A/C why would they expend them in such a manner?  Kamikaze's were out-of-date A/C and/or inexperienced pilots, none of which applies to the SU-27 and its crew(s)...unless you know something about the PLAAF and its SU-27's.

Well the PLAAF have only a small percentage of Su-27s vs the number of Mig 21 clones or worse vinatages that could be thrown out like kamakazi zeros.

 

It would be such a waste to shoot down those hordes soviet era commie jet using patriorts to shoot those birds down. But if the PLAAF can turn them into pilotless drones, they might be pretty dangerous as they would be supersonic kamikaze drones. 

 

So a very simple analysis is if you can sell the Taiwanese 6 F22s, they would tie down at least 72 SU-27s. Might as well sell them 2 dozen F 22s, then the NT airforce can account for 288 SU-27s. And if the NT can put escort fighters for their tankers and Awacs. That would give the United States Armed forces the most leisurely amount of cruise time to deploy themselves there, even accounting for delays from senate dramas.

 

The question is why doesn't the United States utilize its strength to sell Taiwan more mordern equipment that would not only result in savings for the US armed forces and help the US make some good defence $??? The last time the United States dithered about to flog their vaunted aircraft (I think it was the F18, cos no one would refuse the F15) , the French got in on the deal and managed to flog their Mirage 2000s and some other french stuff.  

 

Now that was the only time that defence procurement of Taiwan, not only angered the PRC but also the United States.

 

That some aspects of the american miltary is seemingly taught by hollywood, the IMMENSE propaganda value of  just 6 F-22's holding off a legion of bad commies cannot be underestimated. Using the article's "thirds" rule of fuel - IF 6 F-22 were to engage and destroy/scatter the enermy, and those 6 F-22's were lost on the return to base and all or most pilots rescued, they would be seen as Aviation version of Spartans (I can just see the pre-flight brief, "Pilots, tonight we dine in Hell").
It pays to remember that wars are sometimes won on information, scarifice and propaganda.