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 ...
Not yet anyway. We have a bit of time left.
I expect the Chinese and the Russians will eventually supply the cartels with something. We are going to need a way to beat whatever that will be.
So then if GPS is disabled, the A-10 would be about the only aircraft that could get through. I wonder if any of these advanced aircraft have a switch to turn off the GPS and a set of instrument pilots can use to carry out missions? Top Gun Maverick may be the wave of the future.
Ping.
Come on. This is the new military. Oil burners are so yesteryear.
The EV is the future of the military.
The anti-tank role is also fulfilled with Hellfire missiles from helicopters such as:
-AH-64 Apache
-AH-6 Light helicopter gunship
-MH-6 Little Bird
-AH-1Z Viper (replaced the Super Cobra)
-Bell OH-58 Kiowa
-Tiger ARH
-MH-60 Seahawk
As well as such fixed wing aircraft:
-Beechcraft Super King Air
-Cessna AC-208 Combat Caravan
-KC-130J
-AC-130W[71]
-MQ-1 Predator
-MQ-9 Reaper
Oddly enough, the A-10 isn't listed as one of the airframes to use the Hellfire.
The Brimstone missile system has been coming on board as a replacement for the Hellfire. It has some additional capabilities and range. It can be ground launched or air launched as well.
“Smart equipment, becomes useless when satellites and the grid are down.”
Not too likely, and if we were in a war like that, the A-10 wouldn’t have a role anyways. That is nuclear war level stuff.
“I wonder if any of these advanced aircraft have a switch to turn off the GPS”
The internal INS of most modern planes is incredibly accurate.
Would like to see some Warthogs end up in civilian hands, so at least a few can be re-kitted as 2-seater N/AW and I can finally take a ride in one.
The Pentagon is proud of the white flag it have raised...
Our communist masters have pretty much finalized their easy conquest over freedom & liberty...
Even here on FR, many still talk about, and spread, the drivel about the “democrat party” still existing and the power of elections to restore our freedom & liberty...
Better idea: Scrap the AF. Transfer the A10 to the Army and Marines.
Look at the money you save.
Amen
Here is another posted article for a nice juxtaposition.
The A-10 Has a Brand New Role
https://freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/4149100/posts
Eglin? We saw joints air ops out of Eglin last October that were mind-blowing. And A-10s were surprisingly a part of the second-day package, which included the F-35s and everything that the 40th has in their hangars. Initially I thought it was air show practice but one of my kids pointed out the intercept maneuvers (while we were at the AFAM, no less), and then there were nighttime Gulf sorties. Beautiful.
B 52....
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/ZALPG9BK4tQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tval7oxircI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=67NO42PySKE
air force tries to get rid of it EVERY year ... they HATE because it’s no good for anything except saving the lives of ground troops ...
Sorry. I did my last post without seeing yours first.
bump for later
I have a Love - Hate relationship due to half our 42 KIA being “Friendly Fire” from A10s and Jarhead Cobras.
Give it to the Army if it’s not sexy enough for the Air Force.
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