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 ...
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...
Big, big mistake.
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.
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.
Hi.
I hope you are doing well.
Imho, a Grunt’s best friend. Give it to the Army.
5.56mm
Well past time!!
See my previous.
I’m sure they can find things for the A-10 to do.
A policy which only made sense when it took longer to build a runway.
And a policy which has never been strictly true anyway.
Which aircraft carrier were C130s and C141s flying off of?
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....
There has been talk of the F-35 taking over the CAS role from the A-10.
Yes, seriously!
That would be silly.
“...fixed wing can do a lot that rotary cannot, and it’s the Air Force’s job.”
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.
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$ $upplier$?
They are looking at a prop plane (Embraer?) for ground-support missions. Much cheaper.
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.
I want one.
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