Posted on 08/01/2025 11:10:37 AM PDT by Blood of Tyrants
give army aviation units all of the a-10 warthogs.
Regular v. Reserves v. NG?
I can see at least the NG needing to keep choppers for domestic services.
That would make too much sense. Minimal retraining for the mechanics, airframes people, and electricians and avionics guys. But then the A-10 is getting old and a lot of hours were put on the airframes in the last war.
The helicopter units might be useful for rescue: think LA & Maui fires, NC flooding, Texas flooding and Florida barrier island access.
The summer season is both a prime time for rescue and annual service.
It says the Reserves. No mention of the NG or regular Army.
Drones in many cases are replacing helicopters.
That would be the NG’s job. And they aren’t mentioned.
It’s only Reserve now but I wonder if this is the beginning of something bigger stemming from the DCA crash.
Blood of Tyrants wrote: “Looks like the Army is considering helicopters to be as obsolete as the battleship.”
The article is about reductions in the Army Reserve which is usually combat support. The Guard is where you find the combat units.
“give army aviation units all of the a-10 warthogs.”
I understand the love of the A-10, and it is amazing against primatives like in Afghanistan, but it’s a flying coffin against a moderately advanced enemy.
It’s time has come. China or someone we’d fight would immediately destroy them.
The Russian Su-25 (the Frogfoot) is the Russian equivalent of the A-10 and in some ways, superior (and inferior in others). It’s be a disaster in the Ukraine/Russia war, with them largely grounded at this point. By far, the most shot down plane on each side. (In Iraq, the Iraqis never bothered to air them against our forces.)
So much so that Ukraine TURNED DOWN A-10s.
Noticed that too. Not too many governors would put up with their Guard units having their aviation assets pulled. Too valuable when there are fires, floods and hurricane relief operations needed.
and oftentimes the maintenance is done by contract, not be soldiers. They don't even need to stage them at military bases.
Spoke with a young Guardsman the other day. He’s Bradley mechanic and they are phasing out the Bradley. He said he and the other Bradley Mechs were being moved to the infantry.
“The helicopter units might be useful for rescue: think LA & Maui fires, NC flooding, Texas flooding and Florida barrier island access.”
I was thinking useful for interrogating Antifa protesters.
Fallout from the investigation of the fatal crash is my guess.
They may not be thinking this through properly - have seen too many bone-headed personnel moves made by bean-counter managers vice real aviation people.
Once you've axed them, there is really no way back.
Yep, helicopter mechanics are a very specialized skill. You don’t become proficient in a few weeks. It takes years.
How would A10s do against Iranian massed speedboat attacks?
That would suck.
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