The Fighter Mafia: Visionaries or Villains?
The history of military aviation is full of controversies, debates, and rivalries. One of the most famous and influential ones is the Fighter Mafia, a group of Air Force officers and defense analysts who challenged the conventional wisdom of fighter design and air combat in the 1960s and 1970s. They advocated for a new generation of fighters that were light, agile, and simple, and focused on close-range dogfights rather than long-range missiles. They also influenced the development of air combat tactics and training, such as the Red Flag exercises and the Top Gun school.
The Fighter Mafia is often credited with saving the US Air Force from its own mistakes, and producing some of the best fighters in history, such as the F-16 Fighting Falcon and the F/A-18 Hornet. They are also praised for their courage, creativity, and scientific rigor, as they faced opposition from the Air Force establishment, the defense industry, and some politicians. They are seen as visionaries who foresaw the future of air warfare and shaped it to their advantage.
However, the Fighter Mafia is not without its critics and detractors. They are also accused of being dogmatic, unrealistic, and ignorant of the changing nature of air warfare, especially the emergence of stealth, electronic warfare, and beyond-visual-range capabilities. They are blamed for neglecting other aspects of fighter design, such as survivability, payload, and multirole functionality. They are also criticized for their dubious claims and criticisms of modern fighters, such as the F-35 Lightning II, which they regard as a failure and a waste of money.
So, who is right and who is wrong? The answer is not so simple. The Fighter Mafia was neither entirely right nor wrong, but rather served as a counterbalance to the prevailing wisdom of their time, and helped to produce better fighters and tactics that are still relevant today. They also made some mistakes and oversimplifications, and failed to adapt to the evolving threats and technologies. They were not visionaries or villains, but rather human beings with their own strengths and weaknesses, passions and prejudices, successes and failures.
The Fighter Mafia is not a monolithic entity, but rather a diverse and dynamic group of individuals with different backgrounds, opinions, and contributions. Some of them, such as John Boyd, the leader and the mastermind of the group, are widely respected and admired, while others, such as Pierre Sprey, one of the most vocal and controversial members, are widely ridiculed and dismissed. The Fighter Mafia is not a static doctrine, but rather a dynamic and evolving philosophy that reflects the changing context and challenges of air warfare.
The Fighter Mafia is not a closed chapter, but rather an open and ongoing debate that continues to shape and influence the field of military aviation. The Fighter Mafia is not a relic of the past, but rather a legacy for the future.
