Some are needed in the Rio Grande valley. STAT!
There is nothing that can do what the Warthog does and nothing even comes close.
Just the sound alone as it approaches scares the **** out of the bad guys. Honestly, they should fly them up and down the Rio Grande and the border. I am sure the coyotes would get scarce real quick.
but it will never happen in this administration.
Take a licking and keep on ticking.
One of my favorites. I still have a model in my childhood bedroom.
The reason the USAF can’t rid of the A-10 is simple: They own the fixed wing close air support role. The Army is not allowed to have its own fixed wing close support aircraft.
So, if the USAF gets rid of the A-10 they have to develop a replacement. This would cut into their budget for really zoomie things. Of they have to turn the role over to the Army which they won’t do.
I can easily imagine a replacement for the A-10. An aircraft capable of deploying large numbers of small guided bombs might be a good replacement. But the ordnance and the aircraft would take money away from the things the USAF really likes - fighters.
Only thing I ever agreed with John Mcain on was his slapping down the US Airforce’s attempt to kill the A-10
So ugly it’s beautiful!
It’s that Freakin’ awesome Gun.
Proud to say that I helped build the originals, working in the Farmingdale plant on Long Island, (once Republic Aviation). The production run would have been longer bit, as I got it through the grapevine, the Air Force was plumb fed up with the corruption and the unions in that plant. They weren’t wrong; I was there.
The wings I worked on were always overweight, because the machine tools they were milling the lower skins on were so bad. The new wings that Boeing built for them just have to be a whole lot better.
Because it does its job so well.
Air Force zoomers hate the job of direct Air Support. It’s time to let each force provide air support for their own. A marine pilot will go all out in providing support for fellow marines, so will an army pilot for their soldiers. Presumably the navy already has plenty of zoomer aircraft.
The A-10 is a GUN with an aircraft built around it.
Warthog? In high school we used to call our ugliest teacher “Mr Warthog” because he looked like this:
https://africageographic.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/warthog-Bernard-DUPONT.jpg
If one shows up at the Army Surplus Store, I’ll be strongly tempted.
Interesting way to describe a full on temper tantrum. The Army screams like a banshee every time the topic of eliminating the Warthog comes up.
AND ... this is why our grunts love it while the opponents FEAR IT;
Can you say 'swiss cheese'?
The grunts’ greatest friend.
11B40
A B-1B is at least as effective at taking out an armored advance (cluster bombs), and at CAS with JDAMs.
And is not at risk from shoulder fired missiles.
I’m old enough (and a zoomie) to have been part of the original OT&E of the A-10 on the Nelliis Range complex. (R63 @ ISAFAF)
The v1.0 was a POS.
Powder residue from the gun fogged the canopy and caused engine failures (as In multiple). First gun run mission had to fly back with an escort as the pilot could not see forward...
The gun jammed (al a la M-16) repeatedly and at the most embarrassing times. Hit a target with a dumb bomb? What a joke.
Now, a jillion bucks later and two cockpit upgrades, it does OK for an obsolete air-frame.
Please note it was intended for use in RVN, then later, against Soviet armor columns. The ZSU-23-4 is called an A-10 killer for a reason. ((https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HaYCjfvHIsQ)
Any time these aircraft have gone after a fixed site with defenses, they have been *badly mauled*.
But ya, against a bunch of camel jockeys with Aks, they are a killer-diller combo....
YMMV
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