Posted on 02/21/2015 8:09:04 PM PST by Rabin
SPANGDAHLEM AIR BASE, Germany Fighting rages in Ukraine, Leaders in Europe on Wednesday welcomed back a Cold War Hammer.
Twelve of the previous one hundred forty, Close-air support A-10 Warthogs designed in the 1970s to knock out Soviet tanks are back in Germany.
(Excerpt) Read more at stripes.com ...
ONE of limited duration and scope (until fuel and ordinance expended).
Despite the wishful thinking of 5 or more missions, of the 15 F-35s: 5 are down for service for the month, 3 are trashed and are parts only, 5 more are due for service on the following day, leaving 2 planes for 1 mission - one for the ground work and the other to fly air cover.
This only works until the Russian AF shows up ...
Yeah, I know I was dreaming with that one.
Our dream, our enemies’ nightmare ;)
We have a representative Martha McSally who was a Col. in the Air Force, a flyer, and she is not on the side of the A-10, and it’s in her district!
There are several hundred A-10s in service, another several hundred in the AMARG boneyard.
Keep in mind that today’s A-10 has JDAM and laser self-designating capability. Which are force multipliers, requiring fewer aircraft to fulfill operational needs.
LOL! I love that sound!
I love the sound too! That’s the sound of freedom.
Here are some thrilling youtubes with the A10 in action. Enjoy!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5wqIQ8SpASQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bZmQw_ked1A
Thanks. My favorite weapon system has always been the Navy Phalanx.
The most fun you can have with your trousers on.
First flight is solo. . .always a thrill.
A/A refueling. . you drive up so close that the boom is only a few feet away from your beak, stabilize and wait for the boomer to stick you. Funny, one time I forgot to open the refueling door and drove up and parked and waited for the boomer to 'poke' me. . .after a few moments, the boomer, great guy from the Guard, took the boom and gently tapped the refueling door as a hint to open it.
“Getting them mothballed in Germany”
Where did that come from?
They are there to fly.
Yup. . .UTE rates and weaponeering. . .
She didn't go up the chain to protest, this, she jumped immediately to the IG, her rep in Congress and the media somehow found out.
Thing is, we didn't have at that time a SOFA that exempted women from being covered sooooo. . .she took it on herself to raise holy-heck against the Air Force because. . .well. . .it was all about her.
Not many people that know here from the A-10 world hold her in any regard whatsoever. Self-serving careerist.
She was stuck at 0-5 when she filed the IG complaint and then, of course, the gutless ‘leadership’ knew she would again call the IG and congress if she didn't make 0-6. . .so they promoted her to avoid that fight.
HAHAHAHA...I Love IT !
Cool story! Understandable I suppose as you were probably busy........looking for targets to SHOOT!
Please listen to and contact James T Harris on 104.1 KQTH Tucson 3pm to 6pm. Any time there is any new information on the A-10s he reports it ( sometimes three times a week) and he is no fan of Sally.
I think he would be very interested to put your info on the air. Thank-you.
Well, I can understand what you say to a point. However, the A-10 is a battle tested, battle proven weapon platform. It’s a, all the redundancies aside, a simple design. And should be relatively cheap in the overall scheme of things.
Sure talk (only) to the the guys that fly and maintain it and ask them: “I you could improve on this airframe, what would you want?”
I wouldn’t be so sure the prints exist.
Be kinda hard for Boeing (IIRC they got a contract to re wing a batch of them - could be wrong) to work on them wouldn’t it?
Then of course you could always take one apart and with laser systems, scan the design in. Whatever. These days, this should not be rocket science.
ISIS on parade along the Libyan coast near Sirte |
Not according to the Air Force Times 29 January:
One of the newest lawmakers on Capitol Hill is a former A-10 driver, and she is wasting no time protecting her former aircraft.Rep. Martha McSally, a freshman Republican from Arizona, on Jan. 29 sent a letter to President Obama and Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel urging them not to seek to retire the A-10 in their fiscal 2016 budget request, expected to be unveiled Feb. 2.
The Air Force attempted to retire the jet last year, but Congress blocked the move. Officials have said they will try again this year.
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