Save our Warthogs!
Posted on 08/20/2013 4:01:59 AM PDT by \/\/ayne
A nationwide effort has begun to save the Air Force’s A-10 after Arizona Senator Jeff Flake revealed on the James T. Harris radio show that plans were in place to mothball the craft. Boots on the ground have joined A-10 pilots and crews to save the plane that has frequently saved them.
Fans of the A-10 warthog are circulating a petition in the hopes of gathering 100,000 signatures by September 16. Facebook groups Stand for Protecting Heroes, Keep the A10 in the U.S. Military, and Save the A-10 deployed rapidly in defense of the plane that offers them their best chance of survival in war.
Flake, on a brief visit to Arizona during the Congressional summer recess, was asked by Harris if he would confirm reports that the A-10 was going to be retired. Flake responded that the A-10 would be retired but held out the promise of the F-35 as a viable substitute.
Flake’s candor shocked the Harris’ listeners, many of who work at the nearby Davis Monthan Air Force Base, which is home to the Warthog. The admission sent shockwaves throughout Arizona, and rippled out to the warrior community over the weekend.
(Excerpt) Read more at arizonadailyindependent.com ...
“but held out the promise of the F-35 as a viable substitute. “
lol thats a good one
MI ANG, sign me up!
Yeah, that’s pretty funny. The Air Force won’t risk that aircraft in a close support role. It’s too expensive.
If the Air Force gets rid of the A-10 with no follow up aircraft capable of doing the job then the close support role needs to be handled the Army. IIRC the Army threatened to do just that the last time the Air Force said it was going to mothball the A-10. Maybe this time it will happen.
The USAF isn’t going to risk the expensive F-35A running into flak-traps where it could get knocked down by a lucky shot or a MANPAD. The virtue of the A-10 is that it is tough, relatively cheap and the Avenger cannon is a lot less expensive to use on certain targets.
Using the F-35 on a straffing run is like hooking a Porsche up to your camper for the weekend.
Congress tried this before and it didn’t float. The Hawg is too reliable and valuable for the CAS mission.
Barry would love to see us get rid of the A-10.
Statement is indeed snark worthy. F-35 is the next F-100 jack of all trades master of none aircraft. Designed as a stealth aircraft it won’t meet close support mission requirements that the beautiful Warthog can. I haven’t seen any depiction of the payload but doubt it will come close to the A-10’s.
Barry would love to see us get rid of almost all military
hardware.
I have a better plan... mothball ALL demoncrats, obama and 2/3 of the republican party and build America back as the baddest MF’er in the valley and repeal every law passed since 1988.
Works well against the Muzzies, though, and as they are enemy No. 1, the A-10s are still relevant.
...on a brief visit to Arizona during the Congressional summer recess...
Apparently doesn't live there?
Save our Warthogs!
The B-52 and C-130 still have roles to play. No reason why the A-10 couldn’t.
They want to retire the Hog so that can then say OH....we need the F-35 now more than ever since we don't have a plane that can do CAS.
And then when we get there...they will say...we can't risk the F-35 on the CAS mission.
The generals in the AF are a bunch of PC hacks. They embarrass me. I hope that some of them are reading. YOU EMBARRASS ME. YOU ARE A DISGRACE. YOU DON'T DESERVE TO WEAR THE SAME RANK AS LEMAY and TIBBETS.
In the 70’s & ‘80’s man-portable SAMs were not really up to the task except for the the US Stinger. The Soviets would have been relying on their ZSUs and tracked SAMs for defending the airspace over their armored spearheads. The A-10 would have shreaded them.
Today’s MANPADS are a lot deadlier. But the A-10 design is still the most survivable in the inventory.
But military planners are always extrapolating the capabilities of weapons and they have been thinking the A-10 is obsolete for quite some time now. But all we seem to get involved in is counter-insurgencies and other low-threat air environments where A-10’s, B-52’s and AC-130’s are what the doctor ordered.
they'd make a hell of a FAC plane...
I doubt the F35 hang time can match the A10 either.
they’d make a hell of a FAC plane...
They ARE being used as a FAC plane.
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