I was watching a Smithsonian Channel program on the A-10 Thunderbolt II (Warthog) recently that was dated 2017 and I started wondering what the Air Force thinks of its ground support legend today. The show went to great lengths to stress how many times the Air Force brass has tried to end this hard to kill battlefield warrior.
It seems the nearly 50-year-old friend of the infantry finally on its way out. Here
Watched them do runs over Myrtle Beach back in the 90s. Awesome jets.
The problem they have is they have nothing to replace it with. Last time around they were talking about replacing it with a prop plane. Two years ago they appropriated a bunch of dollars to rebuild A-10 air frames. I can see where the A-10 would be vulnerable in Europe. They’ve been talking about replacing B-52’s for ever too. They ended up slapping some new engines, paint, and an advanced avionics package with countermeasures. I wouldn’t be surprised to see the A-10 get the same face lift. We build lots of A-10 replacement parts. They are the best run program we deal with.
The A-10, a grunt’s best friend for close air support.
Brad, you’re right, there’s nothing even CLOSE to replace it.
At one time the Big Brass Hats in the Five Sided Puzzle Palace tried to shoehorn the F35 (LOL) into that CAS slot (snicker). Not even close, comparing a loiter time of minutes at treetop level vs seconds at thousands of feet.
They will regret it. One of the most versatile aircraft ever. I went to a Hawksmoke competition several years ago. Walking amongst 85 or so A-10s on the tarmac reminded me of…..victory.
Awww
They sometimes do touch and go’s at the airport near us. So cool!
Toxic Deplorable Racist
If you put an F35 or F16 in that role they are now vulnerable to small arms fire. They have no armor. They lose a ton of them. Really dumb. That’s one of the many reason A-10 aren’t speedy. They’re heavy from all that underside armor.
I’ll be convinced this is a good move when I hear a bunch of infantrymen we should get rid of it. So far I haven’t heard that.
I doubt the F-35 pilots are going to want to give close air support now that drones are dominating the battlefield. That said, I don’t think the brass hats are wrong about the A-10 not being survivable anymore when up against the same threats. I suspect they extended its life up against foes without drones and updated anti-aircraft systems.
I imagine the future belongs to the drones now with the F35 providing overhead com links for controllers back in The States.
I love those A-10’s. They fly with holes in them & sheared off wings. They seem like the closest thing to the WW2 p-47’s.
I worry more about how much modern Carriers Cost and IF they are Vunerable to The Chicoms & the Ruskies Hypersonics, Torpedoes, & Drones etc.
Secondly, If they argue that the A-10 is too slow how do you rationalize the AH-64 Apache which is slower, lower, & has rotors?
(different mission, I know)
Just some worries that keep me up a nite…
Opinions Anyone?
Drones are definitely going to be front and center in future combat. But we do have the technology to jam most drones. The swarm drones are really scary stuff.
The A-10 is going the way of the A-6……
I’ve been around a lot of pilots in 38 years…..
Some A-6 jet pilots wanted to be fighter pilots…..
Even their replacement aircraft (F/A-18)…..
is designated as Fighter/Attack-18 aircraft.
The A-6 and A-10…..both…..had a good run.
The mindset of those dumbfux with all the stars on their shoulders…”Hey that’s the most effective ground support aircraft ever, the infantry loves them. Let’s shit can them and waste a shit load of money on the POS F-35 JSF instead!”
Typical of how the “NEW AIR FORCE” thinks.
I was at Al Jaber for the kick-off of the second Iraq war. The A-10’s would go out and destroy Iraqi tanks and other things. They would come back missing half a wing and part of a tail. They all came back no matter how shot up they were.
@Beachmom
They do that at Martin State Airport at Middle River, Maryland. They usually do it around noon and circle around the area, directly above my office building. Next time I see one I will salute.
I’m sure the Marine Corps would love to have them, but noooo, of course not. The AF would sooner see them scrapped than give them to the corps. Stupid continues from one administration to the next.
Back in the early 90’s when the USAF was talking about out getting rid of the A-10, Jack Erickson (of Erickson Air Crane fame) was trying to put in a bid for a few to convert to fire bombers. Now THAT would be awesome!
Here’s an idea; stop fighting endless pointless wars sponsored by the industrial brotherhood and maybe the gear won’t matter so much. Just a thought.
The Air Force isn’t interested in lethality. “Cool!”, “New!” and “Hot!” are what’s important. The Army and/or Marine Corps should take the A-10’s for their own inventory. Then again, the previous and current Marine Corps Commandants were/are trying to bury the Corps.
Scanned the article and the arguments used against the A10 are garbage. The plain fact of the matter is the AF brass feels close air support is beneath their dignity. They’d rather focus their ample resources on multi- million dollar 10 th generation fighter jets for which there are no adversaries. If the aya foice don’t want no mo A10s then they should transfer the program and the budget to the Army where they’ll be maintained and greatly appreciated.
It’s a budget and turf issue and has been since the Air Force became a separate branch. The Air Force has never been enthusiastic about close air support but they are loathe to allow the Army any fixed-wing aircraft of its own for fear Congress will take money from the Air Force budget. Congress and/or the President could have fixed this generations ago, and still can…but likely never will.
Drones, of every size and configuration, are probably the Army’s best bet, for now.
next up…get rid of the sniper program along with the k-9 teams. brilliant you fuckin idiots
Give them to the Marines. They’ll know what to do with them.