Posted on 12/14/2016 3:39:55 PM PST by smokingfrog
At the height of the Cold War, the world's two superpowers created a new pair of battlefield aircraft, similar in both power and purpose. One was the U.S.'s revered A-10 Thunderbolt II, also known affectionately as the Warthog. Its Soviet cousin, originally revealed in 1981, was the Sukhoi Su-25 Grach. While the Soviet call sign "Grach" means "rook," the USSR's adversary NATO gave the Su-25 a much less imposing designation: the "Frogfoot."
The A-10 has become a legend—an iconic aircraft that can change the course of a battle with a strafing blast of its 30mm GAU-8 cannon, and fights on even today in the skies over Iraq and Syria. But make no mistake: Its Russian counterpart is a fearsome beast, too.
(Excerpt) Read more at popularmechanics.com ...
Not as good as a warthog, but nothing is. But it’s a damn stout and simple little plane that’s deadly to ground forces.
A solid performance carrying the Il-2 mantle forward.
Exposed engines, easy heat signature whereas the A10’s are pretty much invisible.
Caution (or welcome, as the case may be) ... MEN .. talking.
Frogfoots are tough and can operate from crude forward airstrips, so far the comparison holds... but the A-10 with the GAU-8 Avenger Cannon and a full load of Mavericks is in a whole other league.
Re your comment “Not as good as a warthog” sums it up which is why the Air Farce planners and Secy want to get rid of it.
At least Sen. McCain called them on it despite their sneaky backdoor attempts to get rid of it.
He should have said “You’re Fired or will be, or will be tried for criminally negligent actions”.
The Air Force has been neutered almost as badly as the Navy.
The A-10 engines stick out from the fuselage. How are they invisible?
The A-10 engines stick out from the fuselage. How are they invisible?
They’re high bypass, for one.
Plus the exhaust flows between the twin stabilizers, effectively concealing the heat signature unless you’re looking straight on from behind.
There’s also the cloaking device...
Yeah, but they have to turn off the cloaking device to fire the photon torpedoes.
If you’ll look, they’re above and behind the wing so when the plane is coming at you the wing blocks the engines, you can’t see them. That was one of the selling points. Also the pilots know how to skid away from the target to keep those engines blocked using the wings to hide them.
You got to stop hanging out with crack addicts...
I have never heard or read any suggestion that the A-10 is invisible.
Consider yourself the first ever.
The crack addicts are my best customers.
Quote: ...whereas the A10’s are pretty much invisible.
How powerful is the Frogfoot’s gun compared to the Warthog’s? Can it destroy tanks, for example?
I think they’re both 30mm, but the Warthog can carry more ammo. Frogfoot has some smaller cannon that can be mounted on the wings. I don’t know if A-10 has anything like that.
Awesome! And stealthy looking too!!
I know both their main guns are 30mm, but i was wondering about their combat performances. Namely if the Frogfoot’s can destroy tanks just like the Warthog’s.
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