Posted on 05/16/2005 5:49:59 PM PDT by AZHua87
BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan, May 16, 2005 — The U.S. Air Force A-10s currently deployed at Bagram Airfield are part of the 23rd Fighter Group, the Flying Tigers, out of Pope Air Force Base, N.C., and are a unique group of aircraft - evident by just one look at their nose art.
The noses of these A-10s are emblazoned with an image of a shark's teeth and eyes. The Flying Tigers are the only Air Force unit authorized to display nose art on their aircraft, due to the history it symbolizes.
The Flying Tigers were first activated at Langley Field, Va., in 1941, and took over the tasks of the American Volunteer Group, fighting the Japanese military, in China during World War II. Twenty-nine of the original volunteers joined the 23rd, sharing their knowledge and expertise.
In their first day of combat, the Flying Tigers destroyed five enemy aircraft to help the Chinese fight the Japanese invaders. The original shark's teeth and eyes were designed to scare enemies during battle.
(Excerpt) Read more at defendamerica.mil ...
Slapping my forehead. Of course, I knew that, just wasn't thinking.
That's soooooooo sick.
*snrk*
funny!
Regards
alfa6 ;>}
Didn't the Air Force want to scrap the A-10?
The 23d Fighter Group is the home of the Air Force's legendary Flying Tigers and is headquartered at Pope Air Force Base, N.C.. The group is a unit of 4th Figher Wing, Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, NC; Ninth Air Force, Shaw Air Force Base, SC; and Air Combat Command, Langley Air Force Base, VA. The 23rd Fighter Group's primary mission is forward air control, close-air support, interdiction and combat search and rescue operations.
The 23d Fighter Group, in conjunction with the 43d Wing at Pope Air Force Base, provides the global reach and global power of the United States Air Force - capable of deploying a self-sustaining war fighting package anywhere in the world at a moment's notice, to form our nation's premiere forced entry capability with the United States Army. To carry out this mission, the group has two operational squadrons assigned: the 74th and the 75th Fighter Squadrons flying A-10s. The A-10A is a single-seat tactical fighter and light attack aircraft. It was the first Air Force aircraft specifically designed to perform the close-air support mission. The aircraft assigned to the group have the unique "Shark Teeth" nose art on them. The Flying Tigers are the only Air Force unit authorized to carry this distinctive and historical aircraft marking. The 23d Fighter Group has more than 880 people assigned.
As for the A-10, back in the 1980's when I had my sailboat, there was nothing like sailing on Chesapeake Bay on a Saturday afternoon and having the Maryland ANG A-10's buzz me a few feet above the mast. Awesome, as the youngsters would say.
Yeah, wanted to replace it with an F-16 carrying a belly mounted gun pod.
Other way around - it's a gun *with* jet engines. The whole plane is built around the BFG.
It works too well, which is why the Air Force still hates it. Every A10 success means that they can't buy a bunch more F-16s (or now F-35s), which are *totally* unsuitable for the CAS/FAC role. They're too light, they don't have enough armor, and they aren't slow enough.
Can anyone explain to me why we're not making more A-10s or a modernized equivalent?
Repeatedly. They're still trying to phase it out - last time around they said that the F-16 can fill the role, now they're saying the F-35 can.
They're so full of it...
They're doing upgrades that will probably keep it in service another twenty years.
Airframes do get old. We should be making A-10Cs.
Pretty funny videos from that site
LOCKHEED MARTIN AWARDED $37.8 MILLION CONTRACT FOR A-10 UPGRADES
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1374184/posts
A-10 "Warthog" gets new lease on life
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1350914/posts
Most of the Air Force brass detested the A-10 from the beginning. They like fast planes with missiles.
The A-10 is a slow plane with a gun. They don't like that at all.
But, the Army drools over it. They love the A-10.
I used to read Air Force magazine a lot when the first A-10s were being deployed. I never read so much bellyachin' in my life.
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