Posted on 02/03/2016 10:51:53 AM PST by DogByte6RER
A-10 retirement delayed for six years
There is good news for Davis-Monthan Air Force Base. The Air Force will not retire A-10s until the year 2022.
Tuesday Secretary of Defense Ash Carter said the A-10 has been such a powerful tool in the fight against ISIS that plans to retire the warplane are on hold for another six years. That's what a lot of Southern Arizona was hoping to hear. The A-10 is a huge part of the local economy.
More life for the A-10 is good news for the local economy but bad news for ISIS.
The plane is built around a huge gun meant to slice open tanks so to an A-10 almost anything else is a soft target.
Troops on the ground love the plane because it can fly low and slow enough to tell good guys from bad, and make sure bad guys have a bad day.
As a former A-10 pilot and Squadron commander Congresswoman Martha Mc Sally has been fighting to keep the A-10 in the air. She's looking past the A-10s new 2022 retirement date---just six years away.
"And I've been advocating that until we have a suitable, proven replacement to keep our troops safe that we need to keep the Warthog flying and I'm going to continue to lead that fight."
(Excerpt) Read more at kgun9.com ...
Excellent news. Build more.
It is a beautiful thing to see one of those on station if you're in the...feces.
why on earth would Obama want to retuire the single most useful plane against the muslim slime?
Oh wait...
Happy BBRRRRRRRTTTT-day, A-10!
The A-10 should transfer to the Army.
The assembly line should never have been shut down.
Now a whole 8th AirForce needs to built with them the only type of plane in the new 8thAF..
The A10 is basically a huge machine-gun/cannon that they built an airplane around.
I saw one at an air show in Tucson- it was an amazing sight.
They just seem to hover like an insect and spit death.
Even a lot of military folks despise the A-10 because “it’s old”.
Really, does it matter how old the design is if it’s the best design for the particular purpose?
Do hammers need re-designed?
The air force would rather keep it then let the Army have a fixed wing.
Good! The A10 is the best ground support aircraft ever designed.
As if if our superior firepower has anything to do with it. We could have a million A-10s, but they are worthless with out a CINC willing to use them!
Further proof that the A-10 is a tough bird to shoot down.
What is sad is that the A10 is a 1960’s concept, a 1970’s aeroplane, and the USAF and aerospace manufacturers can’t come up with an effective replacement. .
It’s not Obama so much as it is the Air Force generals who have long lusted after the latest sexy, stealthy, go-fast, trillion dollar boondoggle.
The AF tried to keep it from having ever been built in the first place.
And the Marines. Transfer them where they will be appreciated.
Sad?
If they can't come up with an equally effective replacement for the A-10 - and I don't think the Air Force even wants to do that because they generally don't prioritize close air support -- that would be great.
But until they do come up with that replacement, they need to keep what still works.
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