Posted on 04/16/2014 8:12:40 AM PDT by SandRat
A top Air Force official had one word to describe the proposed cuts threatening to ground the A-10 fleet.
“Heinous.”
Rep. Ron Barber relayed the comments from Gen. Michael Hostage, the commander of the Air Combat Command, shortly after the pair toured Davis-Monthan Air Force Base to discuss the fate of the iconic attack aircraft known as the Warthog.
The commander of the Air Combat Command, Hostage oversees the 355th Fighter Wing at Davis-Monthan which flies more than 80 A-10s.
Barber, flanked by community leaders, asked Hostage to come to Tucson to see the overwhelming community support for the air base and the A-10.
Last week, Barber wrote to Air Force officials asking them to consider reassigning F-16 squadrons from Luke Air Force Base to D-M when squadrons of F-35 Joint Strike Fighters arrive.
After the tour with Hostage, Barber said he is still working with senators and key members in the House for a legislative solution.
Barber continues to blame the budget sequester as the true motivation for mothballing the A-10 fleet.
Former A-10 pilot Martha McSally, one of four Republicans vying to run against Barber this fall, accused the Tucson Democrat is playing political games using soldiers as backdrop as he runs for re-election.
“When it mattered most and he could have had an impact, Congressman Barber flat out ignored the threat to the A-10, denied it was at risk and was asleep at the switch to the point of skipping the committee hearing that shaped this crucial decision,” McSally said.
“Now he’s using active duty military to desperately play politics and cover his tracks. “
Barber has consistently disputed McSally’s assertions over the A-10 to the point of releasing a timeline of various actions he has taken since being elected into office in 2012.
The Tucson Democrat concedes he missed a committee hearing last year, but only to chair a subcommittee hearing on sequestration at the same time as the Air Force posture hearing.
I’ve heard the argument that the A-10 is too costly, because of its age, to maintain and supply with parts. If that’s so, how come we’re still flying the B-52 and have no plans to retire it?
Original unit cost, about $12 million. For the work they do, an outstanding value. Modify it, add some smaller arms as well, and we taxpayers would get our money’s worth. Even if we spent $10 million per aircraft for upgrades, or 425 million to manufacture new ones, we would have an outstanding value.
“the A-10 is too costly, because of its age, to maintain and supply with parts.”
Even then, compare it to the F-35 parts and maintenance per hour. I bet the A-10 is 1/10th the cost of the F-22 or F-35.
Warthog ping!
My Military-Improvement Plan:
commissionedto do an operation, whether protecting border-towns from Indians or going to war.
Yes, I know him, the guy that hit the trees. . .if he is the guy that was flying at that time with the Maryland Guard.
When he hit the trees he called out on the radio, calling his flight lead by saying; “Hey, lead, I just hit a bunch of trees.”
The normally very busy ATC frequency went silent. . .as you can imagine.
The A-10. . .the “Fist of Gawd” when it strafes.
And F-15E’s for the heavy lifting deep strike.
>> “the A-10 is too costly, because of its age, to maintain and supply with parts.”
>
> Even then, compare it to the F-35 parts and maintenance per hour. I bet the A-10 is 1/10th the cost of the F-22 or F-35.
You’re probably right — but then, from what I’ve heard at least the F-22 did the job it was designed for: air superiority.
(Whereas the F-35 is an amazing failure.)
I’ve never seen an A-10, nor a warthog. But I have seen an A-1 Skyraider,up close and personal, aka Spad. These two planes are of the same mettle. The Spad has been around since the late 40s, and served into the 80s. Two Spads got the first Mig kill in Nam. Can you imagine what that Mig driver thought when 12 .50s opened up on him? The A-10 should definitely be kept in service.
They used to build them right up the road from me in Hagerstown, MD!
End the standing Army?
You would be re-commissioning it the following week when our enemies are on our doorstep.
Fact is, the USAF fighter mafia has been trying to rid themselves of the A-10 since it was fielded.
Ah, yes: Deep Strike.
I was thinking more a localized battle where, depending on how deep the strike is, could be of questionable impact.
This is critical mission requirement.
We need somewhat smaller slow flying durable weapons drones to eventuality replace these as the world eventually moves into the changed battlefields functional railguns are about to create. Until such craft are being fielded, we need these.
Perhaps the state of Texas might buy these for the Texas State Guard.
Really? The F22 has "fired shots in anger" and completely overwhelmed the enemy with no losses? When exactly?
" (Whereas the F-35 is an amazing failure.)"
Based on what, exactly? Testing is ongoing, and capability is being achieved. The fleet has surpassed 15k flt hours, and is moving forward...please define "amazing failure".
The program has had some resets, but how does that make the aircraft an "amazing failure"?
Yes — that includes the hoards of Federal Agents.
You would be re-commissioning it the following week when our enemies are on our doorstep.
And then they'd have a valid reason for it.
But what I'd like to do would be to offer the existing enlisted the chance to continue their contract by teaching the civilians of the several states their trade; that is, to make 'militiaman' so common a role that the current media attempts to paint 'militia' as kooks will be laughable in the future. (This is actually the only way to really protect the general citizen from terrorism: give him the skills and tools to operate as a military force.)
The biggest band of A-10 haters has always been the AF fighter mafia who don’t consider the A-10 and its piolots to be “real” fighter pilots because the plane is too slow and ugly. They’ve been pushing for years to have an F-16 variant take over the job.
Either it’s a small world or it’s happened more than once. lol.
Is it safer to crash an A-10 or eject in the event that the plane will no longer fly? Do pilots debate this?
Warthog —
That’s the problem, mooselimes don’t like any form of pork.
As a UH-1H driver I remember rotary wing aviators being referred to as “machine operators” and not really pilots by Lt. Roger Ramjet & the fighter jockeys.
Warthog pilots didn’t feel that way IIRC. And the fighter mafia wouldn’t have liked my Dad. As an infantry soldier, he taught that every other military activity ultimately supports the infantry, whether it’s a satellite, a ship, an aircraft, the artillery, or a tactical vehicle.
And just what is the stall speed of an F-16, anyway? Close air support is not for the faint of heart.
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