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Revealed: US Air Force Is Planning to Build a Super A-10 Warthog
The Air Force is beginning to work on how fast, lethal, durable and capable a new “A-10”-like aircraft would need to be in order to provide U.S. military ground troops with effective close-air support for decades to come. Translation: The Air Force is admitting the F-35 won't get the job done. (nationalinterest.org) और अधिक...Sort type: [Top] [Newest]
So overdue update to electronics and targeting? Else leave air-frame and weapons alone. Best damn airplane to provide ground support that has ever flown! Wart Hogs rock!
Why does the Warthog have an armored canaop? So that the pilot does not get hit in the back of the head by the birds trying to fly past it.
Air Force Can’t Afford F-35 But Wants a ‘Super’ A-10?
http://www.dodbuzz.com/2016/07/20/air-force-cant-afford-f-35-but-wants-a-super-a-10/
http://www.dodbuzz.com/2016/07/20/air-force-cant-afford-f-35-but-wants-a-super-a-10/
Afraid it does not look auspicious folks. USAF is all about "air superiority" over the battle space. That means fighters and interceptors; how else to earn a DFC?? That's AF pri 1. Pri 2 is bombers to put warheads on foreheads and claim the strategic triad support. CAS is pri 4 for USAF; after all it's just those Army grunts down there. Notice there is no pri 3.
Every time Army proffers an upgraded helo or (gasp!) a fixed-wing CAS a/c, AF promises a study that will deliver a perfect airplane in the future. Meanwhile, the ground-pounders are left to fend for themselves.
It's all a game about maintaining (and hopefully) increasing share of DOD budget.
Every time Army proffers an upgraded helo or (gasp!) a fixed-wing CAS a/c, AF promises a study that will deliver a perfect airplane in the future. Meanwhile, the ground-pounders are left to fend for themselves.
It's all a game about maintaining (and hopefully) increasing share of DOD budget.
Let's get something straight. The Air Force never "wanted" to retire the A-10. The Pentagon forced them into that. USAF was told to choose between the A-10 and F-35, they couldn't have both. It's a horrible choice, what do you do? Dump a new 5th generation fighter that is slated to bolster a horribly depleting fighter force or dump the military's best CAS aircraft ever? It's a horrible choice to make, it's like somebody putting a gun to your head and telling you to choose between losing an arm or a leg.
As for the F-35 not being as good as the A-10 is the CAS role, that is obvious. Back in the late 1980s, the A-10 was going to retire, too. The solution was to put a 30mm gun pod on the F-16 and off you go hunting tanks. Predictably, the testing went terribly and there was no way to make an F-16 do well in that mission, just like the F-35. The A-10 is about as different in design from the fast fighters as Christmas Island is from the moon. The F-35 (and F-16) were never designed for that mission. The F-35 is having a PR problem because, when proposing a new jet these days, you have to prove that it can do everything. Then you have to "prove" through testing that it can do everything. For anything that it doesn't do well because it was never designed to do it (like CAS), there's a legion of anti-military media (that has opposed every new weapon system acquisition since the Korean War) and anti-F-35 bloggers waiting to pounce on it and put it in the worst light possible. Most people don't know that the F-35 has NEVER been defeated by an F-15 in air combat. The "loss" against the F-16 last year was a bogus red-herring story that never even happened.
As for the F-35 not being as good as the A-10 is the CAS role, that is obvious. Back in the late 1980s, the A-10 was going to retire, too. The solution was to put a 30mm gun pod on the F-16 and off you go hunting tanks. Predictably, the testing went terribly and there was no way to make an F-16 do well in that mission, just like the F-35. The A-10 is about as different in design from the fast fighters as Christmas Island is from the moon. The F-35 (and F-16) were never designed for that mission. The F-35 is having a PR problem because, when proposing a new jet these days, you have to prove that it can do everything. Then you have to "prove" through testing that it can do everything. For anything that it doesn't do well because it was never designed to do it (like CAS), there's a legion of anti-military media (that has opposed every new weapon system acquisition since the Korean War) and anti-F-35 bloggers waiting to pounce on it and put it in the worst light possible. Most people don't know that the F-35 has NEVER been defeated by an F-15 in air combat. The "loss" against the F-16 last year was a bogus red-herring story that never even happened.
Get this Aircraft Back Up and Running! It is Way too Valuable to brush off the table. Commanders, HOLD YOUR GROUND and DEMAND these Aircraft are brought Back to Inventory. Us old Retired guys are going to sit back and see just how well you younger guys Perform and make this Happen!