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 ...
That is good news!
Just ‘cause I think we could build something better, doesn’t mean I think we absolutely need to, if we have reliable airframes.
I stand corrected, thanks.
I think you have a good idea but not for the A-10. Other platforms already have your idea.
Check out Cluster Bombs dropped from a B-52 or other bomber.
Heck, the Colt M1911 is still in use as a sidearm, and it’s over one hundred years old.
My idea is that the plane should be able to quickly engage multiple targets with small PGM bomblets; you get it on the right course, program the bomblets (laser designation, GPS, whatever), cut ‘em loose, and hit multiple targets. The plane would only designate for some of its attacks. Ground troops could provide guidance for others.
You can also have different types of bomblets - HE, HEAT, incendiary, thermobaric, etc., for different targets.
I like that a lot. Good thinking.
I nominate you for Sec of Defense.
It's gone: production line, tooling, factory, records.
This is all that's left
Active Duty ping.
They don't have to, but if you are being stealthy, they can glide for quite a while.
They didn't always shut them off or silence them but that was the only times I was able to see them as they fired on the range.
There is no mistaking that sound when they use the main gun.
I was on my duece and a half out near the range.
The F15's would keep their distance, but the A-10's were right there close to the ground.
It was awesome.
Trust me, they're never shutting off the engines in flight. Too risky.
Those turbofans are pretty quiet though compared to what you'll find in F-15s, etc.
The A-10 actually has a feature in its engines separate from the same engine installed on the S-3 to help keep it lit when it sucks in exhaust gases from the gun.
Well that is the trick isn’t it?...the difference between Naval pilots and everyone else. ;~)
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