A ping to Hulka, FR’s very own Hog Driver. Any thoughts on this story?
This jet is a pretty aircraft but its payload is half of the A-10 and it doesn't have the 30MM like the A-10, and let's not forget the A-10 gun gives the Hog the capability for multiple and multiple passes, thereby affecting the battlefield and it also gives the aircraft versatility (can kill anything).
No mention of redundant flight control systems nor any mention of cockpit protection (titanium “bathtub”).
Said it can fly faster. “Speed is life” is important in the A/A arena, but for CAS this is not necessarily a good thing.
One must be able to fly in, see the tgt, aim accurately, pickle/pull the trigger and turn away from the frag pattern (or avoid over-flying the tgt/bad guys). Faster speeds mean you travel more distance once you see the tgt anmd this brings you closer to the threat. Of course, from medium to high altitude, speed doesn't affect this capability as much but it still requires the pilot to fly wider turns to keep eyes on tgt or to fly at a sustained (tiring) higher-G to stay close to the tgt to keep eyes on tgt.
Has a slower stall speed, great, but that is the wrong measure. Basically, stall speed is the slowest speed you can fly before falling out of the sky. Who the heck flies into combat at stall speed? It is maneuvering speed, “corner velocity,” who has the quickest, tightest turn and the ability to maintain that energy state. This “replacement” may be slower but at near stall speed your turn is slower and your radius is large.
Pretty tinker-toy jet. . .not an A-10 replacement.
Just IMHO. . .