The Hog That Saves the Grunts [A-10s To Be Decommissioned?]

The New York Times ^ | May 27, 2003 | Robert Coram

[Blood of Tyrants]

The last F-14 rolled off the assembly lines years ago. Congress then ordered the construction jigs to be destroyed.

[SMEDLEYBUTLER]

Congress directed that the Air Force rid itself of the A-10 in 1990 in favor of the never ordered A-16 and turn them and their OV-10s over to the Marine Corps and the Army. Transferring them to the Army would have been an interesting act to watch considering the 1948 Key West agreement. However, that order was rescinded in November of 1990.

[Pukin Dog]

I'm aware, thanks.

[SMEDLEYBUTLER]

Congress then ordered the construction jigs to be destroyed.

Try Dick Cheney.

[Polybius]

To understand why the corporate Air Force so deeply loathes the A-10, one must go back to 1947, when the Air Force broke away from the Army and became an independent branch. "Strategic bombing," which calls for deep bombing raids against enemy factories and transportation systems, was the foundation of the new service branch.

The original establishement of the U.S. Air Force was justified because it was claimed that the U.S. Army brass, with a ground warfare mentality, did not adequately understand the requirements of strategic airpower.

The claim had merit.

Maybe now is the time to allow the U.S. Army to re-establish it's own Army Air Corps because the Air Force brass, with a strategic airpower mentality, does not adequately understand the requirements of close combat air support.

There is a middle ground between having the U.S. Army in control of all strategic bombing and having the U.S. Army as the only major branch of the U.S. Armed Forces that is not allowed to fly it's own fixed wing aircraft.

[AbsoluteJustice]

Agreed.

[MattinNJ]

I hope you are right. On another thread about the new Chinese Tanks I jokingly asked if the Hogs would be hungry an hour after devouring a few columns of Chinese armor. Another Freeper said Yes. "The Hogs-Go ugly early"

[E Rocc]

I've heard the Air Force brass originally didn't want to take the A-10 to Gulf War I. The idea of replacing it with the F-16 is dumb, the Falcon has way more turning circle and is nowhere near as durable. Nothing beats the 'Hog for taking advantage of air supremacy.

-Eric

[WhiskeyPapa]

The Air Corp Generals did not want the P-51 Mustang when it first came out.

Right. They put their bets on the P-47 and P-38.

It's a real shame that the USAAF brass didn't provide long range escort for the bombers over Europe from the very first. They thought the B-17s could get to their targets okay and buzz saw the German fighter force too. They had some early sucesses, but the Germans adapted and General Eaker did not. The average B-17 was only lasting 11 missions at one point.

The P-38 had a lot of problems but those could have been smoothed out. It was shown that even a few P-38's could disrupt Lutwaffe defensive efforts. There should have been a lot more a lot sooner. In 1942 the brass transfered the one P-38 group in England to Africa any way.

Walt

[wjcsux]

Unfortunately, the A-6 is gone. The only A-6 variant left is the EA-6 Prowler. the A-6 was a hell of a good ground support aircraft.

[Conspiracy Guy]

The P51 was a dog with the original Allison engine. The Brits jammed a Rolls Royce Merlin in her and the rest is history. The A10 was a sweetheart from the get go. I was stationed at McConnell AFB Wichita KS when the hog was still in final stages of Flyoff at the Hutchison KS Gunnery range. It is one mean bird. I'm glad I got to see her before production began. I don't think she'll die this time either.

[CaptRon]

This is the second time that I know of that they were going to decommission them. About 10 years ago I used to visit my ex-in-laws at Myrtle Beach. There were a couple of squadrons stationed at MBAFB and the talk then was that they were going to get rid of them.

[cpdiii]

Bring them to Fort Hood, Texas. Paint them green and put
US Army on the side of them and start building more of them.

While they are at it they should give the AC-130 attack
craft (Specter) to the army also. Those two planes are the grunts best friend. They may not be sexy but they damn sure
kill the bad guys.

Fort Hood is so damn proud of the A-10 that they have a static display of an Air Force plane on Tank Destroyer Road
on base.

[E Rocc]

What the airplane does have is a deadly 30-millimeter cannon

An understatement along the lines of saying Stainman had problems with the truth. It packs the GAU-8 Avenger, the most powerful gun ever put on an airplane.

It fires depleted uranium shells too, which further annoys lefties. Another reason to keep it active. >:)

-Eric

[Cachelot]

I don't think she'll die this time either.

The "decommision the hog" thing has been going around for quite a while, and it's still there. I think it'll still be around in twenty years, right along with the B52.

[spokeshave]

A10 rules

[lepton]

I was stationed at McConnell AFB Wichita KS

On another note...have you seen the video of that tornado going through the parkinglot at McConnell in the mid 1990s?

[Conspiracy Guy]

Me too.

[E Rocc]

While they are at it they should give the AC-130 attack craft (Specter) to the army also.

Or build the Banshee:

-Eric

[BluH2o]

The A-10 was one of the most effective, lethal and feared weapons of the Iraqi war.

The Iraqi ground units in Desert Storm had their tails kicked by the A-10. Fact is, the Air Force perfumed princes at the Pentagon were trying to dump the "Warthog" as far back as the late eighties. Desert Storm gave it a new lease on life ... in fact, it became the hot aircraft to fly. New pilots coming up thru training were clamouring for a shot at flying the A-10. This was 180 degree departure from the early years when pilots assigned to an A-10 unit were usually the guys and girls low in the rankings at Air Force flight school.