Posted on 09/01/2007 5:02:30 PM PDT by llevrok
September 1, 2007: The new A-10C is headed for Iraq and Afghanistan, as the first of the new models became available last month. That's because the U.S. A-10 "Warhog" ground attack aircraft is so popular with ground troops that even the air force brass took note of it. So they speeded up the plan to upgrade the electronics of the aircraft. The A-10 can fly low and slow, and is designed, and armored, to survive lots of ground fire. The troops trust the A-10 more than the F-16, or any other aircraft used for supporting the ground troops. The new goodies for the A-10C equip the pilot with the same targeting and fire control gadgets the latest fighters have. The new A-10C cockpit has all the spiffy color displays and easy to use controls. The basic A-10 is a three decade old design, so the new stuff is quite spectacular in comparison. New commo gear is installed as well, allowing A-10 pilots to share pix and vids with troops on the ground. The A-10 can now use smart bombs, making it a do-it-all aircraft for troops support.
While newly equipped A-10s are showing up this year, it will take five years to upgrade all 350 aircraft in service. Beyond that, the air force is upgrading the engines and structures of the 1970s era aircraft. All the upgrades will cost about $13 million per aircraft. The air force has been trying to retire the ugly, and elderly, aircraft for over a decade. But the A-10s are just too damn effective, and popular, when there's actually a war on.
Warrior Planes!
Yes. One of the finest ground attack aircraft produced in history. It ranks up there with the P-47, A-1 and Phantom.
This is good news indeed.
I don't wonder why!
An incredible machine that I thought had been tossed on the scrap heap even though it has saved countless American lives. Glad to see it’s still in service, and hope it continues to be in service for a great many more years.
Sorry, top brass, that it’s not sexy enough for you.
It is a testament that such an un-sexy, ungainly appearing, and unglamorous aircraft makes the movers and shakers see its value.
I certainly don’t see it as un-sexy or ungainly or unglamorous, but hey...that’s me.
Colonel Mad Man Maddox (Warren Oates) to Captain Wild Bill Kelso (John Belushi), in an alfalfa field somewhere in Pamona "Let me hear your guns".
To quote the Vermont ANG....
Go ugly early!
That would be Warthog, not Warhog!
I thought they were called Warthogs; did the name change?
I saw the Trnsformers movie on opening night. The A-10 /C-130 Gunship scene was absolutey awesome, and the whole theater was cheering! They're popular to anyone who understands what they can do, and the novie made it clear.
Saw the movie...:)
A-10’s are beautiful birds...
Yeah, they are.
When the C-130 came on the screen, the whole place went nuts! I guess there were a lot of Air Force geeks in the theater that night.
AC-130 has to be the most underrated piece of effective hardware (to the general public) in the US Military inventory.
They are deadly indeed. I am glad we have them.
I wonder whatever happened to the 6 or so A-10s I saw in NAVY colors at an air show back in the 90’s. They were parked off to the side away from the crowd areas at Lemoore NAS. No, I wasn’t imagining it, either. I got pics of them somewhere in my Big Box O’Photos, but not scanned into a jpg.
They’re the ground pounder’s wet dream.
They'd be right at home on a Sgt. Fury comic book cover in the 50's.
You need to add the Henschel 123 to your list of the great ground attack planes. http://www.warbirdsresourcegroup.org/LRG/hs123.html
Well, then...you will forgive my provincial omission of the Henschel 123...:)
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