L’arme secrète de GW pour son “surge” en Irak : peut-être bien le F-22…

GW nous l’avait bien caché, l’habile homme. C’est pour ne rien dévoiler aux immondes insurgents. Mais il est vrai que le Pentagone nous en prépare de belles pour le prochain et définitif “surge” en Irak ; histoire de régler définitivement cette affaire.

Aviation Week & Space Technology nous apprend donc, dans les pages de ses éditions du 15 janvier, que le Pentagone pèse et soupèse l’option magique de l’envoi du Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor en Irak. C’est d’abord histoire de montrer l’utilité magique de cet avion de combat contre les guerriers de la guerre de quatrième génération. (C’est aussi, nous dit un petit doigt, parce que l’USAF a moins d’espoir dans une prochaine offensive-surprise où elle aurait pu utiliser le F-22 en démonstration de ses formidables capacités.)

Voici ce qu’en dit AW&ST :

«What's being batted back and forth in Pentagon planning circles is whether to use the advanced electronic surveillance capabilities of the F-22 Raptor, which will have its first expeditionary deployment this summer.

»Right now the stealth fighter doesn't have the data links installed that would let it instantaneously deliver its high-resolution data to other aircraft and ground stations. Until the new, low-probability-of-intercept communications are on the fighter, getting the electronic order of battle (what's emitting and where) information off the aircraft will always have to wait until the aircraft lands and the data can be downloaded.

»“F-22 doesn't have the link, and crucial to the network-centric improvements [in Iraq] is being able to move the data,” the Pentagon official says. The effort to support the new surge “is really an integration issue” he says. “F-22 deployment is still a maybe. The increase in ISR collection capability will be done primarily with unmanned aircraft.” Even the Predator B, which has six weapons stations and is expected to deploy to Iraq, would devote most of its payload to sensors rather than missiles.

»“They've been close to sending it in once or twice before,” Jumper says. “That wouldn't surprise me at all. It would be able to do a lot more” in the ISR world than conventional aircraft. “The F-22 does a different mission.”»

Il y a pourtant un aspect tragique. Il y en a, au Pentagone, pour penser que, non, finalement, le F-22 n’ira pas. Parce qu’il y a déjà “trop d’avions” là-bas. Cette source est celle d’un défaitiste.

«Others think not. “The F-22 community is itching to go, but I don't think it's going to happen,” an Air Force official says. “There are airplanes already there and you don't really need it. As for a surge, the only thing you could do for the next two years is additional ISR payloads for Predators and Global Hawk.”»

Mis en ligne le 20 janvier 2007 à 22H06