Posted on 09/23/2013 10:15:18 AM PDT by rktman
It was...looking across the Fulda Gap, the Air Force needed something that could kill lots of Soviet tanks, cheaply and efficiently. With its high rate of fire, large ammo capacity and depleted uranium rounds, the GAU-8 30mm gun was the ideal solution. It was designed by GE (which won a competition with Philco-Ford), but support for the program is now provided through a division of General Dynamics.
One of the more interesting notes on the GAU-8/A-10 program is how an Air Force Colonel saved the service billions of dollars on ammunition. Forty years ago, the Air Force announced it was willing to pay up to $80 a round for GAU-8 DU rounds.
A Colonel named Bob Dilger was working on the program at the time and thought that proposal was nuts. Breaking most of DoD’s contracting rules, he told the two competing contractors that he would give the annual A-10 ammo contract to the firm that could deliver the cheapest and most reliable rounds. With hundreds of millions of dollars on the line each year, the contractors began to undercut each other to get the contract. At one point, the Air Force was paying less than $10 a round for A-10 ammo, a genuine bargin.
For his efforts, Dilger was passed over for Brigadier General and retired as an O-6. He also ran into a bit of trouble back in the 80s; demonstrating 30mm anti-tank gun at the Pentagon, the weapon discharged and destroyed a pump at a nearby gas station. Misdemeanor charges against him were later dropped.
The Air Force has always hated the A-10, but they can’t find anything that can replace it. Also, the notion that the Hawg is easy meat for other fighters is a bit far-fetched. I participated in a couple of Red Flags where A-10s claimed valid kills against F-16s or F-18s that tried to get low and slow with them. In both cases, the “real” fighter pilot couldn’t get a radar track on the A-10 (due to terrain) and couldn’t get a tone for their AIM-9 (because of reflected heat off the desert). Meanwhile, the A-10 got a gun track on the fast mover and called a “Fox-8”
Indeed. The Air Force has always institutionally hated the A-10. It was slated for the graveyard until Desert Shield/Storm. Then its superb performance and "Joint" popularity made it impossible for the Air Force to get rid of. But now memories are fading. So its days are numbered unless another publicly acceptable war erupts.
Before the Gulf Wars rescued the A-10, I was mystified why the Air Force so detested it. After speaking with numerous USAF pilots it became clear to me that the A-10's insurmountable problem was that it was not a fighter. Of course the pilots didn't express it that way. But that's what it boiled down to.
The A-10 would be a natural fit for the Army. But that would mean reconstituting US Army Air Corps (or Force) fixed-wing assets. And the USAF would rather attack the USA than to allow it to again soar with the eagles!
Amazing how often that happens. If I lose any more I’ll have to stop shooting fish. I’ve yet to find a gun rack for a boat in Walmart.
30mm rounds exit the barrel at 3,400-3,600 FPS, at 112,600 RPM, and a TRAINING round can penetrate an inch and a half of armor at 2,000’. . .the range a “normal” 20mm AP round uses. The A-10 AP round can puncture an inch and a half of armor at 8,000’.
Pull the trigger for less than a second and 10 rounds per barrel, per second are fired. Keep the trigger down more than a second and you end up melting the barrel.
Pull the trigger and the jolt of the gun shakes the beejesus out of you, can’t see clearly due to the vibration, and the shoulder inertial locks lock-up due to a moment of rapid deceleration.
(Former Hog Driver)
When the gun is removed from the airframe for repair or heavy maintenance, they have to put a brace under the A-10's tail boom to keep the Warthog from tipping back on its main gear.
For a GAU-8 Avenger?
The Mk44 Bushmaster II also shoots that cartridge.
I'm not sure if the use the depleted uranium bullet the GAU-8 uses.
“He also ran into a bit of trouble back in the 80s; demonstrating 30mm anti-tank gun at the Pentagon, the weapon discharged and destroyed a pump at a nearby gas station. Misdemeanor charges against him were later dropped.”
Don’t know about that. When I flew the Hog we heard a steroy about a guy having a barrel and round. . .without permission, and accidently discharges the weapon on civiv street somewhere and hit a gass station. Demonstrating a 30mm round at the Pentagon? Please explain that as the Pentagon is an office building surrounded by parking lots and buildings and is not a range.
“The Air Force has always hated the A-10, but they cant find anything that can replace it.”
True.
“Also, the notion that the Hawg is easy meat for other fighters is a bit far-fetched. I participated in a couple of Red Flags where A-10s claimed valid kills against F-16s or F-18s that tried to get low and slow with them.”
I have too, as well as gun kills against the F-18.
“In both cases, the real fighter pilot couldnt get a radar track on the A-10 (due to terrain) and couldnt get a tone for their AIM-9 (because of reflected heat off the desert).”
Of course, you do know AIM-9’s can now lock on and track even hot cars on the highway and with AMRAAMs don’t jam off on ground clutter, not with the radars we have now.
“Fox 8?” Never heard of that. Always called “Guns, guns, guns” as a kill call. (We didn’t usually call “FOX 4” because we were NOT going to use a bombers termonology.)
While out on a country road years ago in the boondocks somewhere around the west side of Jackson, NJ (a dozen or twenty or so miles east of McGuire AFB) I looked in my mirror and saw a Warthog in it. Low altitude, following the road; nearest I could figure he might have been practicing sighting in on vehicles. After he passed overhead and was obscured by the treeline a second one came screaming over. Impressive show.
If we could turn a dozen of them loose on Mecca and the Kabb’a we wouldn’t need to nuke it!
IMO, it will be saved and improved,........again.
Give it to both the Army and the Marine Corps.
You were using it, instead of the engine, for propulsion, right?
Well, if I had to go into a gunfight with only one gun...
I helped develop some of the avionics for the more modern A-10s, and as a fellow zoomie, albiet in a different country’s air force, I always wished we had A-10’s.
Alas, our ground support role was/is fulfilled by F-16s and various attack helicopters.
Give the Air Force assets to the Army and the Marines keep their assets. (Though a few A-10s would be appreciated)
Throw in a few of these while you're at it.
Rutan ARES "Mudfighter" for U.S. Army Close Air Support
You could have warrant officers flying these after a year of training.
What is that a picture of?
Grandma-deuce?
/johnny
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