Pierre Sprey

Pierre Michel Sprey (November 22, 1937 – August 5, 2021) was an American defense analyst. Working with John Boyd and Thomas P. Christie at the Pentagon, he was associated with the self-dubbed 'Fighter Mafia', which advocated the use of energy–maneuverability theory in fighter jet design. Sprey claimed to be involved in the design of several military jets, including the F-16 and A-10.

Pierre Sprey
Born	Pierre Michel Sprey (1937-11-22)November 22, 1937 Nice, France
Died	August 5, 2021(2021-08-05) (aged 83)[1] Glenn Dale, Maryland
Nationality	French American
Alma mater	Yale University Cornell University
Occupation	record producer

Early life and education

Sprey was born in Nice, France, in 1936 to Jewish parents^[2][3] and raised in New York, U.S.^[4] Sprey was admitted to Yale University at the age of fifteen and graduated four years later with a double major in French literature and mechanical engineering.^[5] He later continued his education at Cornell University where he studied mathematical statistics and operations research. He subsequently worked at Grumman Aircraft as a consulting statistician on space and commercial transportation projects. From 1966 to 1970 he was a special assistant at the Office of the Secretary of Defense.^[6]

Defense analyst

Main article: Fighter Mafia

During the 1960s, at which time he worked as a statistician for the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Systems Analysis, Sprey was associated with a group of defense analysts calling themselves the "Fighter Mafia", who advocated for a lightweight fighter as an alternative to the F-15.^[7]

The Fighter Mafia strongly believed that an ideal fighter should not include any of the sophisticated radar and missile systems or rudimentary ground-attack capability that found their way into the F-15. Based on energy–maneuverability theory they advocated for a small, low-drag, low-weight, fighter with no bomb racks. The Fighter Mafia credit this concept for spurring the creation of the Lightweight Fighter program that would result in the F-16, the most produced 4th generation fighter.^[8][9][10] Sprey also became friends with Avery Kay, whom he claimed was involved with work on design concepts for a large caliber ground attack aircraft that would result in the A-10.^[11] Sprey's claims regarding designing the A-10, or having a part in designing the A-10, are often overblown. ^{[12] [13]} This has resulted in controversy, with the recognized designer of the A-10 Alexander Kartveli being better recognized over Sprey in recent years.

However both the Fighter Mafia and their critics note the design changes made to the F-16. Like the F-15 the F-16 became a costlier multi-role fighter rather than the lighter air-to-air specialist they originally envisioned.^[8][9] Sprey continued to be critical of complex aspects of the F-16 and F-15 despite both seeing successful combat use, including the F-15's perfect air to air combat record.^[14][15][16] Sprey also expressed his dissatisfaction with the size and complexity of the A-10, proposing a concept he called a blitzfighter, an extremely small aircraft with a cannon and no other armaments. ^[17]

Criticism of the F-35

Sprey was a frequent critic of the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II program. He asserted, paralleling his earlier claims about the F-15, that despite its high cost, the F-35 is less agile than the F-16. Sprey argued that compared to the F-16 or A-10 (in both of whose operational roles it is marketed to operate), the F-35 was overweight and dangerous, stating "It's as if Detroit suddenly put out a car with lighter fluid in the radiator and gasoline in the hydraulic brake lines: that's how unsafe this plane is..." and "full of bugs".^[18]

He claimed that the F-35 is a poor replacement for the A-10 in the close air support (CAS) role, alleging it flies too fast for pilots to spot targets by eye and lacks maneuverability at low speeds,^[19] lacks the necessary radios,^[20] cannot survive small arms fire (or anti-aircraft guns), and has poor loiter time.^[21] Sprey claimed that close air support should be the Air Force's most important mission and that the USAF has been trying to retire the A-10 for years simply because it does not want the CAS mission.^[22]

Sprey was interviewed about his views of the F-35 multiple times: by the popular press,^[23][24] on the politics and policy news network C-SPAN,^[25] and at a meeting of the activist group "Stop the F-35".^[26] He also appeared on a podcast hosted by Aviation Week where he debated a retired US Marine Corps combat pilot and instructor at the United States Navy Strike Fighter Tactics Instructor program ("TOPGUN") who had piloted both the F-35B and the F-22 Raptor.^[27]

Record production

Sprey recorded music through his own label, Mapleshade Records, and sold high-end audiophile equipment. His recording with the Addicts Rehabilitation Center (ARC) Choir singing "Walk With Me" appears in Kanye West's 2004 hit "Jesus Walks". Sprey said he earned enough royalties from the West song "to support 30 of my money-losing jazz albums."^[4]

Death

Sprey died on August 5, 2021, of an apparent heart attack.^[28][1]