Posted on 09/22/2015 2:11:02 PM PDT by Enlightened1
Twelve U.S. Air Force A-10 Thunderbolt aircraft arrived Monday at an Estonian air force base as part of an operation to deter Russian aggression in Eastern Europe, according to a U.S. Air Force report. The aircraft landed in the Baltic country after flying from Germany and are expected to spend the next six months training with NATO allies and other European partners.
The aircraft are originally from the 23rd Wing at Moody Air Force Base in Georgia, and are being used to augment the U.S. military's attempts to bring security and stability to Europe, according to the statement. The exercise, which is part of a cross-continental mission known as Operation Atlantic Resolve, is designed to be a show of force against Russian intimidation after the Kremlin annexed Crimea in March 2014 and continues to be involved in the eastern Ukraine conflict.
"It is an opportunity for us to represent not only Moody, but the United States Air Force, and it's a chance to come together and work with our NATO partners to strengthen our alliances," said Lt. Col. Bryan France, commander of the A-10 group. Estonia, a former Soviet republic, is a NATO member.
(Excerpt) Read more at ibtimes.com ...
That plane is a flying Tank.
Yet very manuverable
Go Ugly Early.
You forgot the sarcasm off...
Then again compared to a Tank yes. These planes are very slow.
Which is why 11Bs like it!
Yes I did...
Here’s the thing about sending a message using the military. It must have credibility. When Reagan and Nixon threatened action, they put all the logistics and funding into place. When North Koreans shot a couple of US officers across the DMZ Nixon said he’d blow them back to the stone age. He ordered the entire Pacific fleet with logistics into a ready state and started deploying bombers with fuel and bombs. The North backed down instantly. When they similarly tested Obama he sent a letter. Obama’s red lines in the sand would have been effective if he’d moved the millions of dollars worth of equipment and thousands of personnel necessary into ready positions, but he didn’t so the red line had no credibility.
The Russian will know if this is a real threat based on the movement of logistics. My guess is it isn’t real. It’s more posturing. The only person fooled is Obama.
“Slow” allows a tight turn and a pass strafing the ground again, several times, before the ammunition is spent. Not only the nose cannon, but various air-to-surface missiles, and cluster bomb loads, make this one of the most effective ground-support aircraft of the last fifty years.
And it still can take HUGE punishment and cripple home. The pilot flies another day.
WTH are they doing in Estonian? They never will be used! They should have been in Syria months ago instilling fear into and killing ISIS terrorists!
It seems to me that Obama and his Democrats are determined to get the United States involved in some conflict with Russia.
I concur.
Exactly! Besides, the A-10 is cool, but not super useful without air superiority, which would be sorely lacking during the first phase of a shootout with the rooskies.
One of the most amazing warplanes I’ve ever seen, without doubt.
The article says A-10s are in Estonia temporarily for a joint drill not permanently.
Great movie and with only $2M budget it beats the Hollywood ones even in action scenes, let alone the story.
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