They tried to pass off some CAS F-16s as "A-16s" at one point.
It didn't last very long as I remember.
Good.
There is not a better attack plane, nor is there any adequate substitute.
I almost went crazy when the AF said it was ‘too slow’ and wanted to replace it with (I think) the F-18 or F16.
Thank God cooler heads prevailed.
The Air Force really doesn’t want a single seater that isn’t a $100 million stealthy, go-fast. I’ve suggested that the AF turn over all the A-10s to the Army, who love them.
It’s like Rumsfeld said... (paraphrasing) you fight with the force you have, not what you’d like to have. The A-10 is still relevant because we still (mostly) fight in permissive air environments. That won’t necessarily be the case in the next fight, but I don’t have a crystal ball so your guess is as good as mine.
1995 to 2030 not a bad SLEP! The AF first tried to get rid of the A-10 in the mid 1990s with the effort getting underway in 1989. Capt “Muck” Brown, assigned to the 422 TES at Nellis came to Hurlburt to see if he could get a gunsip assignment to stay in the CAS community.
I was honored to spend a duty day with him “re-bluing” him. He went back to Nellis and started to good fight to keep the A-10 on active duty.
Fortunately world events provided massive justification for his effort!
Unfortunately, “Muck” passed on several years ago. But, there a whole lot of gruntss made it home because of his efforts.
Good on Y’r Mate!!
There was an AF General who said the A10 was designed around the nose cannon, The F15 around the radar and the F16 around the ejector seat. ;)
Anyone ever seen a helo gunship almost at a hover pouring fire on the gomers knows how well slow works.
The go-fast boys in the USAF have always hated the A-10.
CC
#3 It was the F-35!. That plane doesn’t have enough bullets to do much of anything.
They tried to pass off some CAS F-16s as "A-16s" at one point.
It didn't last very long as I remember.