Posted on 04/24/2009 11:15:14 AM PDT by sukhoi-30mki
USAF chief says "light strike" fighter could be needed
By Stephen Trimble
The US Air Force's top officer said today that a "light strike" platform optimized for the irregular warfare mission could be added to the service's inventory of manned fighters.
Such an aircraft could serve both as a basic trainer for the USAF and "partner" air forces, and as an attack platform in operations against terrorists and insurgents, said Gen Norton Schwartz, USAF chief of staff.
"There is a legitimate need to talk about the light strike role and the building partner capacity role, and we certainly intend to have that discussion in the coming months," Schwartz said following a speech on the USAF's role in irregular warfare at the Brookings Institute.
In Vietnam, the USAF operated the Douglas A-1 Skyraider to attack irregular forces known as the Viet Cong, but has since abandoned the use of such manned, propeller-driven aircraft in combat.
However, Schwartz, a former special operations commander, said he plans to launch talks in June with the USAF leadership on the need for a specialized irregular warfare unit.
Schwartz added that the USAF generally wishes to avoid operating single-mission aircraft, and prefers buying platforms with "general purpose", or multi-role capability. A joint basic trainer/light strike fighter may fit Schwartz's description.
The USAF currently operates the Hawker Beechcraft (HBC) T-6A II Texan as the joint primary aircraft training system (JPATS) to qualify all pilots. HBC has also proposed an attack version of the JPATS platform called the AT-6, with a capability to drop precision munitions and carry .50-calibre machine gun pods.
"If we had a primary trainer that is for basic pilot training that could be easily reconfigured into a light strike platform -- and then you would have a cadre of instructors who could sort of make that transition quickly to a building partner capacity role in the same airplane, and the same crew, and perhaps folks who we have arranged to have language skills that's a part of their repertoire -- that is a very attractive way to solve this problem," Schwartz said.
Any serious talk about new weapons systems needs to take into account tactical efficiency against radicalized, rightwing extremists, like Christians, gun owners, anti tax agitators and returning veterans. After all, that is the current definition of terrorists, as used by our government. Lightweight aircraft that can sweep down for precision strikes against churches are needed. Detection devises that can distinguish NRA stickers from MADD stickers would be a big plus. They also need the capability of detecting Ron Paul and other rightwing, third party stickers. And let’s not forget the need for carbon gas detectors that can be used to identify homes and automobiles to be targeted by missiles.
I knew a guy who flew A1's in Vietnam and he said the loiter time was 10 hours. Sometimes even out of ammo, the ability to hang around a downed pilot was enough to keep the bad guys still while waiting for rescue choppers to arrive.
All that having been said, my concern with this report is a sense of 1970's dejavu with the F-20 and to a lesser extent te F-18.
What's that? About 50% more bad-ass than an ak-47?
What’s that? About 50% more bad-ass than an ak-47?
I agree.
The only additional capability a "light strike fighter" brings is the ability to have pilots captured or killed.
Not if you are a big caliber guy. the 47 shoots a 7.62x41, the 74 shoots a 5.45x39. About half the parts are supposed to be interchangeable
Uses smaller round than the AK-47. If you see an burnt orange magazine, its probably an Ak-74
“USAF would be much better off buying another couple hundred A-10s.”
There ya go. If they want a light strike fighter they also might want to consider going back to the F20 Tigershark.
As much as I love the P51, if this involves a lower cost survivable ground attack aircraft there was none better than the A1E Skyraider.They did beyond excellent work in Korea and Nam and they have a big enough frame to carry any modern ordnance. Of course since few fighter jocks want to fly the Warthog, I doubt flying a re imagined Skyraider would be popular.
You said it, but I was thinkin’ it too.
No, the AK-74 is about 50% LESS badass than the AK 47...
Exactly, and that has the pilot's union very concerned.
The tooling needed to build an A-10 no longer exists. Neither does Fairchild.
When the AF decided to put new wings on the A-10 as part of the A-10C upgrade, the contractor had to design and build the jigs and tools for the new wings.
The T-6 is a much smaller, lighter and easier to maintain aircraft. It also boast additional sensors in the form of a second set of Mark one eyeballs.
Ding ding ding, we have a winner.
It has a loiter time of between 14 and 42 hours depending on your trade-off between ordinance and external fuel tanks (with no resulting pilot fatigue since the pilots can do shifts), costs a fraction of what a modern manned fighter does and can carry up to 3,000 pounds of ordinance.
Light aircraft are not that much more complex than cars. If you order enough simple aircraft with survivable systems, you could get the cost really way down.
Good dog fighter, bad ground attack plane. Since it was water cooled, the radiator was the weak point for the Mustang.
Now, if they want to bring back a great ground attack plane, the P47 Thunderbolt would be the pick, IMHO>
Yes, and also much more vulnerable to light, cheap manpad missles and AA.
“Well Gee, if they’re looking at the AT-6, why not bring back the tried and true P-51 Mustang?
THAT was a kick-ass aircraft.”
Or the P-47 for that matter.
The P-47 was a virtual tank that could have entire cylinders blown off of it’s engine and still return to base. there were even a few instances where P-47’s were shot down, hit trees, and impacted with such force that the wings, tail and engine would come off and the pilots would walk away with little to no injury.
P-47’l work too.
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