Arvsmageddon said:Why would they waste resources and manpower on the Jomungand if they don't plan to use it? They're like "They played us like a damn fiddle!"
I'm not sure how I feel with this CGI. It's political, and actually happens all the time. Different defense contractors (or design bureaus if fully government controlled) each still want to have their own ideas and designs validated. And governments find it better to let multiple competing systems be evaluated - not only does it allow the same issues to be tackled from different perspectives, but also has an alternative pre-readied if something goes wrong with the chosen unit.
Capable units losing out for various reasons are quite common in military history:
-The Northrop YF-23 lost to the Lockheed YF-22, despite being stealthier and having superior performance in many key areas. Insiders note that past history (B-2 program's massive overruns VS F-117 on time and under budget) played a notable role.
-In WWII Germany, field commanders explicitly asked for a Germanized T-34. They were given the Panther instead.
-Before WWII, the Hawker Hurricane was largely sidelined by the RAF, who only acquired it to fill potential gaps created by teething problems with the more modern Spitfire. The Hurricane, however, had several advantages and was the most important British fighter in the first years of the war.
-Similarly, the US P-39 Aircobra, originally designed as a high-altitude interceptor, was rejected by the UK and sidelined by the US due to performance issues at high altitudes. The UK actually cancelled a large order, and the US mainly used them to fill urgent needs in the Pacific. It was used only for lack of anything better. But the Soviets loved the plane, constantly asking for more and using them to telling effect. Just with completely different tactics.
-The nasty little Italian CR.42 biplane, while theoretically completely obsolete in 1940, came as a rude shock to the British in the Mediterranean. They couldn't figure out any way for their existing aircraft to win in a dogfight. They could only try and use speed and altitude to avoid mixing it up. However, on the converse, the performance of its predecessor in the Spanish Civil War prompted the Italians to focus heavily on biplanes because they were cheaper, and, as a result, the Italian air force was poorly equipped to fight US and British aircraft and tactics throughout the war. |