What do you need for an air force?

Hello.

First of all: An aerial weapon is not a nice accessory that you just put yourself like a new Ferrari when the defense budget looks good. No, my dear, an air force is like the gold standard in the military world. If you want to play in the league of the big boys, you need more than a few Cessnas with cool decals. So let’s look at what a country really needs to sit not only in the cockpit, but also actually have control over the sky.

1. The planes – clear, but not some mill

The first condition: airplanes, from the finest. But not some tin bird, no, we’re talking about high-tech arches like the F-35 Lightning II or the Russian Su-57. Machinery costing more than the gross domestic product of a smaller country. Planes that not only look pretty, but are also equipped to have more sensors and missiles on board than the complete list of your favorite gadgets.

You want to know how expensive a jet is? Let’s say that an F-35 could theoretically replace your entire city if you were willing to give up people and homes. Yes, it hurts, but in the air there are no special offers.

Two. Logistics and infrastructure – the invisible hero

A plane without maintenance? Well, that’s like a Porsche without a jump – stays pretty in the garage and doesn’t do anything. So your air force needs not only aircraft, but also hangars, maintenance facilities, aircraft carriers (if you really want to be fancy) and a lot of supplies. And of course: well-trained ground personnel, which ensures that your jet does not fall apart in the first flight round.

And if you think you have a simple task as the head of the Air Force, imagine you have to order thousands of Boeing spare parts. With the delivery times? You wait longer on your wing than on your IKEA order.

3. Pilots – no amateur lesson in flight simulator

Then of course the pilots – the heart and soul of the air weapon. But we’re not talking about people who just find the windshield wipers in a Cessna cockpit. No, these are people who have been training for years, who are able to fly manoeuvres where you and me would only get dizzy. These guys and girls are basically the Formula 1 drivers of the air, only that they control rockets that cost more than the entire fleet of Ferrari.

Pilot training? Well, sitting in a jet is almost like parking a Boeing 747 in a children’s carousel. But hey, who’s got nerves out of steel when the G forces break you?

4. Technology and weapons – nothing goes without

Of course, modern air weapons fly not only with machines, but with high-tech toys: rockets, laser weapons (yes, that actually exists), electronic warfare – and, the new hit on the horizon: drones. Who has, he has. So you need the latest technology, and we’re not talking about the stuff you see on the aviation show, but about classified projects that are so secret that even James Bond would be jealous.

The difference between the USA and other countries? While most countries are still sending their pilots to air schools, the USA is discussing whether their drones really need pilots. So much for removing humanity from the air.

Why do some countries have no air force?

Well, now on the question: Why do some countries not have their own air force? The answer is relatively simple if you consider it realistic: cost. Running an air force is like firing a cruise ship with diamonds. It’s extremely expensive. And if your defense budget doesn’t just swell, ask yourself if you don’t want to put the money in road construction or some extra schools. Countries like Iceland simply have no air force and let NATO fly for them. And why? Because, realistically, they don’t have an enemy country that wants to penetrate their airspace. Who wants to attack Iceland? Polar foxes?

Iceland without air force is like a vegan on a grill party – completely out of place, but somehow not really relevant.

Another example: Costa Rica abolished the army in 1948 and continues this until today. What an aerial weapon if you can just relax a round in the jungle? If you don’t want to get to the border, you don’t need fight jets that keep you breathing.

How can some countries have an extremely good air force?

Oh, yes, the Great of Lies: USA, Russia, China, Israel. These countries not only have the necessary small money, but above all have the right mix of money, technology and motivation. The US, for example, throw billions annually – ah what, trillions – into their air force. There they have not only the most modern jets, but also the most modern ideas. If you look at the USA alone: They have more aircraft carriers than you finger on both hands, and can station their “flying friends” anywhere in the world at any time.

The American defence budget is so big that one might think that the US is trying to colonize Mars while defending Earth.

Then you have countries like Israel who, despite their size, have one of the best air weapons in the world. They put on a mix of high-tech, merciless training and a superior intelligence service. They already know that they can’t afford to make mistakes – so no one flies into the cockpit with a flight simulator highscore.

Conclusion;

An air force is nothing for weak nerves and not for weak cash. Who really wants to dominate the sky needs not only the best jets, but also the right strategy, the staff and, as always, the necessary small money. Who’s got all this? Who doesn’t? He makes it like Iceland – and lets the others fly.

Grapy