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Bye-Bye to BRRRRT: Air Force Wants to Retire 44 A-10 Warthogs
Military.com ^ | 10 Feb 2020 | Oriana Pawlyk

Posted on 02/12/2020 9:34:59 AM PST by 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.

(Excerpt) Read more at military.com ...


TOPICS: Military/Veterans; Miscellaneous
KEYWORDS: a10; aerospace; warthog
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To: Waverunner

I suggested the same thing.

I was told it’s not that simple.

A hook, folding wings, ability to catapult launch, and ability to take hundreds of thumping HARD landings on a heaving deck, and probably a dozen more requirements you and I haven’t thought of...


41 posted on 02/12/2020 10:10:52 AM PST by null and void (The democrats just can't get over the fact that they lost an election they themselves rigged!)
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To: hattend

Big, big mistake.


42 posted on 02/12/2020 10:11:28 AM PST by Carriage Hill (A society grows great when old men plant trees, in whose shade they know they will never sit.)
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To: hattend

As I watched videos of terrorists cars and trucks being taken out with a 500 lb bomb, I kept thinking why not use an A-10 (at probably 1/10 cost) to do the same thing.


43 posted on 02/12/2020 10:12:26 AM PST by antidemoncrat
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To: Steely Tom

The original Key West agreement of 1948 identified CAS as an Air Force responsibility.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Key_West_Agreement

The Army totally got out of the fixed wing business in 1967, while rotary wing CAS and logistics became an Army function.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johnson-McConnell_agreement_of_1966

The bottom line is that fixed wing can do a lot that rotary cannot, and it’s the Air Force’s job. The A-10 is pretty damn good at it, and pushback from the Army should be expected.


44 posted on 02/12/2020 10:12:53 AM PST by FreedomPoster (Islam delenda est)
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To: hattend

Hi.

I hope you are doing well.

Imho, a Grunt’s best friend. Give it to the Army.

5.56mm


45 posted on 02/12/2020 10:13:35 AM PST by M Kehoe (DRAIN THE SWAMP! Finish THE WALL!)
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To: meyer

Well past time!!


46 posted on 02/12/2020 10:13:58 AM PST by null and void (The democrats just can't get over the fact that they lost an election they themselves rigged!)
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To: hanamizu

See my previous.


47 posted on 02/12/2020 10:14:12 AM PST by FreedomPoster (Islam delenda est)
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To: hattend
Just put a tailhook on the A-10 and give it to the Marines.

I’m sure they can find things for the A-10 to do.

48 posted on 02/12/2020 10:16:09 AM PST by GBA (Here in the matrix, merrily, merrily, life is but a dream.)
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To: null and void

A policy which only made sense when it took longer to build a runway.


49 posted on 02/12/2020 10:21:55 AM PST by MrEdd (Caveat Emptor)
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To: null and void

And a policy which has never been strictly true anyway.
Which aircraft carrier were C130s and C141s flying off of?


50 posted on 02/12/2020 10:24:05 AM PST by MrEdd (Caveat Emptor)
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To: hattend
Looks like we have about 275 active out of a total production run of 716.

A lot have aged-out, battle-damage cost some and we've lost a few in aviation accidents.

The older they get the more it costs to maintain them. They will eventually all be gone - it's only B-52s that fly forever....

51 posted on 02/12/2020 10:24:42 AM PST by Psalm 73 ("You'll never hear surf music again".)
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To: meyer

There has been talk of the F-35 taking over the CAS role from the A-10.

Yes, seriously!


52 posted on 02/12/2020 10:25:02 AM PST by hattend
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To: MrEdd
Just because it no longer makes sense doesn't mean the bureaucracy is going to change the policy.

That would be silly.

53 posted on 02/12/2020 10:26:05 AM PST by null and void (The democrats just can't get over the fact that they lost an election they themselves rigged!)
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To: FreedomPoster

“...fixed wing can do a lot that rotary cannot, and it’s the Air Force’s job.”


But if the AF no longer wants the CAS role? It is interesting (and I’m vaguely aware of the reason for it) that it is only the Army that is restricted in what it can fly. The Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard can all fly what they need to accomplish their missions.


54 posted on 02/12/2020 10:26:23 AM PST by hanamizu
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To: PilotDave
"USAF just completed a massive upgrade program on most of the A10’s including new wings. They may put a few in storage but the A10’s will be flying for many more years. Planes are often cycled through storage to manage the fleet."

The headline implies the end of the A-10. I read the article and that is NOT what is happening with 44 being put in storage.

Military.com: "Pletcher on Monday said the retirement will affect "the oldest and least-ready aircraft" in order to modernize a combat-capable fleet of 218 total A-10s across seven squadrons."

Military.com :"To date, the Air Force has 281 A-10s in its inventory (two A-10s were destroyed in a collision in 2017), but has repeatedly stressed it can maintain roughly six of its nine A-10 combat squadrons through 2032, which is why officials have not committed to buying new wings for the entire fleet."

Military.com: "Through the next iteration of the effort, the "A-10-Thunderbolt II Advanced-Wing Continuation Kit," or "ATTACK" program, the service will begin re-winging the rest "of the A-10s that remain in the inventory" after 44 planes are cut, a spokeswoman said Monday."

Stop freaking out folks. PilotDave has it correct. The Warthog is not going away anytime soon.

55 posted on 02/12/2020 10:26:41 AM PST by A Navy Vet (I'm not Islamophobic - I'm Islamonauseous. Also LGBTQxyz nauseous.)
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To: hattend

Where’s the photo of the face palm guy saying, “Not this shit again”? I thought this was all settled. The Army would take the
A-10s because they’re so great for Infantry air support. Some perfumed princes appear to want to scrap a fantastic weapon, so they can start bellyaching for something to replace it. Do General$ get kickback$ from weapon$ $upplier$?


56 posted on 02/12/2020 10:27:20 AM PST by Tucker39 ("It is impossible to rightly govern a nation without God and the Bible." George Washington)
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To: meyer
"Is there a viable alternative for the situations where the Warthog thrives?"

They are looking at a prop plane (Embraer?) for ground-support missions. Much cheaper.

57 posted on 02/12/2020 10:27:31 AM PST by Psalm 73 ("You'll never hear surf music again".)
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To: MrEdd
C-130? The Forrestal...
58 posted on 02/12/2020 10:31:16 AM PST by null and void (The democrats just can't get over the fact that they lost an election they themselves rigged!)
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To: FreedomPoster

All well and good, but the times they are a changin’.

In the future, CAS will be transferred to drones at the regiment, squad, or even individual soldier/Marine level. Controlled by individuals on the ground, in real time, by means of eyeball tracking or something even more exotic.

Eyes in the sky will communicate with individual warfighters, sending them constantly updated views of what’s around them. Look at a building, look through the building to what’s on the other side, look into the building to see what’s there.

Army/Marine responsibility.


59 posted on 02/12/2020 10:34:50 AM PST by Steely Tom ([Seth Rich] == [the Democrats' John Dean])
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To: hattend

I want one.


60 posted on 02/12/2020 10:40:03 AM PST by Eddie01
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