Posted on 12/09/2014 9:00:06 AM PST by bkopto
The A-10 fighter jet, designed to kill Soviet tanks in Europe, made its reputation instead in America's Middle East wars. Now it's back in the region while its advocates fight off the Air Force's attempts to kill it.
A-10s from the Indiana National Guard arrived from Afghanistan last month at an air base in southwest Asia, where they will be used for missions against the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, Air Force officials said.
The plane, affectionately nicknamed the Warthog, is slow and ugly compared with the Air Force's other fighter jets, especially the stealthy, supersonic F-35 that is scheduled to replace it. But it's also heavily armed and armored, making it a deadly weapon in close-in combat against enemy ground forces and a welcome sight for friendly troops.
The Air Force says the A-10 is too old and not versatile enough to keep flying in a tight budget environment. Getting rid of the A-10 would save $4.2 billion over five years, the best value with the least loss of aircraft, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Welch told the House Armed Services Committee in March.
But Senate and House negotiators agreed Dec. 2 to keep it flying at least through the end of fiscal 2015, forbidding the Air Force from taking it out of service.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonexaminer.com ...
Those long caravans of Toyota trucks would be their meat.
Better yet, ask a fighter pilot. How many times has John McCain been described as a “fighter pilot” from Vietnam?
Reignites memories of the AD Skyraider and the C-130 in all its variations.
The Marine Corps actually looked into taking the A-10. We wanted it. Unfortunately it cannot be retrofitted for carrier ops. My solution to this is to have 3 squadrons of A-10s, one in each Marine Aircraft Wing. You would have a squadron on each coast and one in Okinawa or Iwakuni Japan.
The squadrons would have to be land based all the time, but my beloved Corps needs to get over that little detail. Every time I think of a Marine Corps pilot in the seat of that flying tank, I get all warm inside!
Technically, it’s designation is A10 Thunderbolt II. The P-47 is the original Thunderbolt.
Marines are the natural end users for the A10.
The A 10 is the best close air support aircraft ever made and the Marines are the branch of the service most concerned with close air support
As a former Zoomie, I can say I loved that plane. Ugly is in the eye of the beholder. We had them at Davis-Monthan in Tucson. It was a blast watching them do their thing.
That is why I specifically said to move the maintenance as well.
Good point although I will concede that A-4 was one hot little scooter.
My son was a grunt (medic) for two tours of Iraq. They loved the Wart Hog and Apache. If things got ugly, they could rain down death and destruction on the enemy.
Nothing like a few bursts of 30mm depleted uranium to shred things down on the ground...
I’ve heard it described as “a gun with wings”.
I forgot to add that the Army loves the Wart Hog so dearly that they have one on display at Fort Hood, the largest army base in the world.
I’m pretty sure the AF wasn’t turning over the money to operate it, just trying to turn over the aircraft.
The Airforce values the A10 but with all due respect, in an all out war for national survival, the A10 carrying gravity bombs and 37mm AP does not hold a candle to an F35 delivering a tactical nuke.
In such a war, tactical nukes wouldn't be a player. Transfer the aircraft, transfer the money to operate them. Why should the AF keep the money when they aren't providing the support? Support to the Army required by their charter. 30mm ammo Btw.
My mistake an the ammo.
I think the A-10 is a national treasure and would like to see the entire fleet up graded , re winged and provided to the Marines for their CAS mission.
The A-10 can be ferried and forward based and from unimproved fields so it’s inability to trap on a carrier is not necessarily a deal killer.
The problem is that the Air Force only has so much funding and they, in their infinite wisdom, want to phase out the A-10, many of which have just been upgraded and re winged, and phase in the F-35 due to budgetary constraints.
I guess we will find out if they made the right decision when we have the next war.
As long as the dollars are 'blue' dollars it is a deal killer.
Active Duty ping.
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