Bye-Bye to BRRRRT: Air Force Wants to Retire 44 A-10 Warthogs

Military.com ^ | 10 Feb 2020 | Oriana Pawlyk

[hattend]

Despite multiple efforts to push the iconic A-10 Warthog's retirement date further into the future, the U.S. Air Force is now slated to shelve dozens of the Cold War-era ground-attack planes in the upcoming fiscal year, according to the service's budget request.

[Waverunner]

You are hereby promoted to PLO.

[Spacetrucker]

Tell them to send a couple my way - got a few pain-in-the-a** neighbors 🕶😁

[Erik Latranyi]

A drone version would be fine by me. No need to put a pilot in harm’s way.

[G Larry]

wouldn't that be:

Bye-Bye BRRRRTY Bye-Bye.....?

[Spacetrucker]

A-10 is a damn good close-air support platform, you’d be hard-pressed to find even a single Marine that wouldn’t want one helping in a,combat situation.

[Kickass Conservative]

I would say Army, but as I understand it they only use Rotary Aircraft.

I guess those Air Force guys can give me one of them.

[Blueflag]

Exactly. The misguided children could keep them flying for 40 years.

[Waverunner]

Airframes strong enough, add a hook. Remember the marines got the Corsair because it was thought that it wasn’t carrier friendly.

[hattend]

I see what you did there. ;-)

[NativeSon]

I’ll take two off their hands, put them right in back garage.

[FreeperCell]

I want one to drive to work.

[Damifino]

....Played golf at Indian Lake Estates in Central Florida yesterday...

Ha ha... I played that swampy cow-pasture a year or two ago. Course was dead empty but the attractive middle-aged lady in the pro-shop was redeeming.

[N. Theknow]

$15...greens were nice. Rest of course was a bit thin and weedy. This time of year it is dry.

[hanamizu]

I would say Army, but as I understand it they only use Rotary Aircraft.

---

I believe when the Army Air Force became the USAF, there was an agreement that Army would be restricted on kinds of fixed winged aircraft it could fly. That said, if USAF doesn’t want the A-10 and the Army does, perhaps the agreement can be revisited.

[Waverunner]

DEA was going to get some for crop spraying in Colombia. Replacing the OV-10’s with greater payload and tougher against ground fire. I talked to a State Department contractor pilot at Patrick AFB during an air show in 2001. He liked his OV-10, but was looking forward to having the armored bathtub around him. Another reason to be upset about 9-11.

[llevrok]

Give it to the Marines

My thought too. They'll know what to do with it.

[Chainmail]

"I’m beginning to think the Air Force is a bit Elitist. LOL"

Ya think? My Uncle who was a fighter pilot in WWII told me that he "couldn't believe that he a nephew (me) dumb enough to join the Marines during a war".

It was quite a while until I'd speak to him again.

[meyer]

Is there a viable alternative for the situations where the Warthog thrives?

[NFHale]

It’s ok... it’s 2nd Amendment-approved, so ... Into the Civilian Marksmanship Program with them, and I’m BUYING one PRONTO!!!!!!!!!!

(:^) Obviously, kidding)

[meyer]

The Marines would love it. BUT fixed wing Marine Corps aircraft must be carrier capable. The A-10 isn’t. *sigh*

Maybe it's time for a revision - the A-11 Warthog!