Posted on 04/28/2023 8:56:48 AM PDT by Red Badger
The US Air Force has been trying for years to retire its aging fleet of A-10 Warthog planes. During a Thursday hearing, the service secretary said the aircraft "doesn't scare China." "It still has some limited utility, but we have to get on with things," Frank Kendall told Congress.
The US Air Force has long butted heads with Congress over plans for the retirement of its aging A-10 Thunderbolt II attack aircraft — flying cannons also known as Warthogs, and on Thursday, service leadership stressed to legislators that it's time to move on because the warplane is less useful than it was 40 years ago and simply "doesn't scare" China.
The Department of the Air Force Posture Statement about the 2024 fiscal year budget outlines specific divestments that the service branch wants to undertake so it can continue to modernize and adapt to relevant threats. The document requests that Congress allow for the retirement of 42 A-10 Warthogs because the aircraft "does not deter or survive against our pacing challenge, and we need to move forward."
Frank Kendall, the secretary of the Air Force, reiterated this Thursday afternoon during a House Armed Services Committee hearing on the service's budget request when ranking member Rep. Adam Smith asked Kendall if he could outline some of the programs that the Air Force plans to divest and why it is important that Congress avoids getting in the way.
"I'll start with the A-10," Kendall said in his response. "It's over 40 years old. It was, in its time, a great aircraft — it served us well. I was an advocate for that program for a long time, but it doesn't scare China."
(Excerpt) Read more at businessinsider.com ...
Isn’t AF doctrine - Use Stealth, Cruse Missiles, and whatever else they have to destroy Modern air defenses first? Then send in everything else to take out the tanks and infantry. Sure infantry have Manpads but the A-10 was designed to survive them.
I used to be patriotic. Really I was. But now I am convinced peace and freedom depend on breaking up the United States.
This guy is crazy. As long as the US intervenes in hot spots around the globe, the Warthog is the premier air support platform for ground troops. Let the Army take them.
No it was tracking the A-10’s going out and coming in from the Gulf of Mexico................
It would work great defending the border, or an invasion on the shore. See if that scares you Dinks, use them about Midnight on May 1, and keep out all comers?
They want to get rid of them, because they are paid for and don’t get Generals great jobs in the War machine after retirement. Every grunt I ever knew, loved them and isn’t the militaries main mission to defend the US of A? Not to project power around the world?
Smart equipment, becomes useless when satellites and the grid are down. First move by a foreign power against the US will be to take down the grid, and eliminate satellites. Old School will be the best as always.
Get our troops home NOW. America is in need of fixing. I for one and looking very favorably on RFK2. He has a lot of common sense. Better than almost all Republicans, and surely Democrats.
The A-10 is a slow moving target drone in modern, contested battle space.
MANPADS love ‘em.
However, the F-35 can carry a load of SDBs and anti armor Cluster munitions and deliver them in the most contested battle spaces on the planet.
Pilots are leery of the CAS mission in the Warthog.
Road apples.
Well no. Obviously not now that there is no tongue between the teeth....maybe some dripping blood from the teeth.
Maybe someone could explain to him that its not really just for anti-armor roles.
Wouldnt do any good, the Chinese dont pay him to read what isnt in the script.
Sounds like some kind of exercise.
“It’s time to transfer the entire ground support role to the Army and Marines since the prissy faggots running the Chair Force can’t be bothered with it.”
I agree with that.
The Marines have always had the bulk of their own CAS.
But there’s NO WAY the Army wants those A-10s. They would probably opt for an F-35 variant.
Usability not so “limited,” to me, calling for controlled air support in close contact,
(which I have never had to do, but may conclude:)
Usability not so “limited.”
The A-10 is a truly irreplaceable weapon. Celebrate and improve it, if possible!
Great post.
RE: And how old is the B-52?
Ask this author....
https://www.amazon.com/Flight-Intruder-20th-Anniversary-Novel/dp/1591141273
First of his books using B-52s.
“The A-10 is a truly irreplaceable weapon. Celebrate and improve it, if possible!”
Should we also change out those 16in guns for 20in guns on all of our Battleships?
Whenever stuff starts heating up overseas, Eglin starts flying stuff over my house....................
Marines can’t take them. THE RULZ say USMC aircraft need to be carrier capable...
April 15, 1952
“Sure infantry have Manpads but the A-10 was designed to survive them”.
No.
It’s simply a target drone for modern MANPADS.
Even in 1991 we lost 6 of them to MANPADS.
30 years later they don’t stand a chance if they fly below 5,000 feet.
“Marines can’t take them.”
Would NOT if they could.
They fly a far superior platform now.
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