Posted on 08/26/2014 4:58:24 AM PDT by servo1969
Pierre Sprey is one of the original designers of the A-10 Warthog during the 1970s. He provides insight into why the aircraft is so loved by ground troops in the military, and why its recent retirement from Air Force operations is so hotly debated.
(Excerpt) Read more at wimp.com ...
A-10 vs. ground support helicopter?
In 2003, the assets of Fairchild were purchased by M7 Aerospace and the new company was relocated to San Antonio.
On December 15, 2010, M7 was purchased by the United States subsidiary of the Israeli defense contractor Elbit Systems.
OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM -- A-10 Thunderbolt II maintenance members from the 392nd Air Expeditionary Wing inspect their aircraft for any additional damage after it was hit by an Iraqi missile in the right engine. The A-10 made it back to the base safely. (U. S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Shane A. Cuomo)
Anyone remember during Desert Storm, the black BG who was Schwartzkopf's press briefing officer? What was his name, and where'd his career go afterwards..
That was the San Antonio division, that had nothing to do with the A-10. And the company had previously been sold once before, they just kept the Fairchild name.
The A10 program has bounced around a couple of times. I think it was at one time part of Northrop, but I believe it is now managed by Boeing.
As far as the tooling goes, it was kept till around the mid 1980’s,hoping that Regan might reignite the possibility of European sales. When that didn't happen, Fairchild went to the Air Force and said, “what do we do with it?” A scrap order was issued shortly thereafter.
All of the technical data was sent to an Air Force storage facility. But it was improperly stored and most of the drawings being on Mylar, stuck together and were ruined. We (taxpayers) paid Boeing to reconstruct them in the early 2000s.
Beef up the undercarriage a bit to make them carrier capable and give them to the Marines.
Darn. I was hoping the Israelis might start making them.
some idiot careerist..started a political career..Bowels (iirc).
From my sources, as limited as they now are, the reason that the AF didn’t retire the A-10 in the early 1990’s, think DESERT SHIELD/DESERT STORM, is the Army needed it.
There were some very interesting urban stories surrounding a meeting between Gen Schwarzkopf (USA) and Gen Dugan (USAF).
Apparently the US Army didn’t fight hard enough to keep the A-10. Either that or there was some very interesting behind the scenes trades.
BLUF - the grunts are left holding the bag again.
As a Corporal in the 2nd Marine Division during the First Gulf War, I got to see these babies up close and personal!
Too DAMN personal on one occasion as we were incorrectly marked for target; they were tearing up the ground walking onto target when they finally pulled up! WHEW!!! More than one pair of shorts needed to be changed on that day!!
But, watching these aircraft chew up one line and down another with deadly precision, is enough to make a grown ass Marine cry tears of joy!!
The AF never liked or wanted the A-10, which was designed by the Army, but forced upon the AF.
Every time they show clips of those ISIS technicals, I think what an A-10 could accomplish.
I’d like to remind the big brass F-35 pushers how well the Me262 worked as a bomber. Warbirds are not a one size fits all proposition.
I am sure was the Govt to put out a request for new A-10’s we could make them.
Problem would be the Govt trying to make the new ones better.
In this country we have a love of all things high tech especially in military aviation. We are convinced that adding every conceivable gadget, bell and whistle makes things superior, but overlook that sometimes simpler technology can do the job better, more reliably and for less cost. There is a story, while not true, that NASA spent millions developing a ball point pen to write in zero G while the Russians used a pencil. It is easy to believe that story given our history of doing just that.
Why? It is to ensure the A-10 stays dead, and cannot be resurrected. It is done to totally commit us to the new stuff, to ensure that we cannot say "The A-10 replacement sucks, let's just cancel the project and go back to making A-10s, or enhanced A-10s".
Follow the money...and the acquisition announcements.
This doesn't answer your question but a friend of mine is a Apache pilot and he told me that it is just awe-inspiring to watch the destruction that an A-10 can deliver. I'm sure his Apache can open a can of whoop-ass, too.
I've conducted live fire Joint Air Attack Team missions with A-10s from the front seat of an AH-64. One of my best memories. I also served in the infantry soon after the A-10 was first fielded and conducted live fire CAS training missions with them. I have a special place in my heart for A-10 drivers and the machines they fly. They are "different" from their Air Force brethren and totally focused on supporting the ground commanders' battle. Meat Eaters, each and every one. It's a damned shame to watch this awesome platform being phased out. Nothing super fancy about it. Just brute force combined with subsonic, low altitude ballet and can take a beating.
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