Reply #12: It's already pushing the technology envelope

[Mr. Hyde]

and I don't think we necessarily need to mass produce this plane like it was an F16 but I think it's worth keeping around in sufficient numbers for it's threat deterrent capabilities as much as anything. My understanding is that it will be the last of the manned fighters. I was under the impression that most of us thought the terrorist threat was overblown anyways. I think it definitely exists and it will continue to exist into the foreseeable future but I don't think we should build our entire defense network around this single threat, not in these uncertain times especially. I know the army has been experimenting with nanotechnology for at least a decade now. It's not hard to think of uses for microscopic radio transmitter devices in the era of terrorism. I think that's definitely a good direction to go in and it should drive plenty of innovations in the civilian sector as well. It is, of course, a shame that we have wars in the first place but the world is what it is, dangerous, violent, and evil and no amount of Grateful Dead music will change it.