Posted on 06/10/2010 8:48:40 AM PDT by Slam
Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal, commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan, recently sent an urgent request to the Pentagon's Joint Staff to speed up deployment of four new light attack aircraft needed by special operations commandos for airstrikes against al Qaeda and the Taliban in Afghanistan.
The request was stalled after Congress blocked funds for the classified project, code-named Imminent Fury.
"An August 2009 Centcom [request for forces] for four aircraft in support of SOF forces conducting operations against al Qaeda and Taliban senior leadership in Afghanistan was not fulfilled and remains open," Gen. McChrystal stated in a May 20 memorandum to Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff...
**PDF file of McChrystal's letter available at Source URL** HERE
...According to defense officials, a request to reprogram $44 million in Navy funds to lease four Super Tucanos was made to Congress and turned down in April for reasons that remain unclear. Suspicion is focused on pork-barrel politics...
...Specifically, the military was told there was no requirement for the aircraft or that the requirement was not clear, claims that would appear to be contradicted by Gen. McChrystal's letter. Sen. Sam Brownback, a Kansas Republican who sits on the Senate Appropriations defense subcommittee, is said to be behind the holdup...
...One Imminent Fury aircraft was already combat-certified in U.S. tests, and similar aircraft are already in use by South American militaries, including in Colombia, where it was proved successful in nighttime bombing raids against communist FARC narco-rebels...
...Imminent Fury aircraft cost hundreds of dollars per flight hour to operate, compared with costs of $10,000 to $12,000 per flight hour for the current close air-support jets.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...
But, but, but....what are we gonna do about the oil spill? /s
These government morons could care less about our troops! ERRR!
Air Force no wanto. Must have F-16, preferably F-22, or maybe OKayee, but just, an F35 drop bombs on four guys with AK’s next to a rock.
Another alternative is to start the Joint Light Attack Aircraft Program. Hundreds of slots for Air Force captains,
Colonels, Generals. Ten years of design studies at the cost of billions, then competition, and then they grunts in the hills can get their support.
THIS is how we can win in Afghanistan (Dresden style!).
You’re right. We really don’t care to rule that place (like the Soviets did), so we should beat them into submission until they give us Osama and their leadership. Screw what the people think living there...tell them it will continue until they fix this crap. Remember they started the war by allowing the Taliban to take power.
Always wondered when prop planes would be called back into service in the ME... the good ole strafings of WWII.
Agreed, this is typical USAF brass. Never buy a cheaper plane when a more expensive one will do the job.
Actually, I think the regime does “care” about what happens to the troops.
They hate the troops.
They hate them because members of the regime feel like sh*t every time they compare their miserable cowardly, irrational, drug-sotted selves to them. How dare these troops be so brave, dependable, intelligent and moral? Didn’t they get the memo that we are all supposed to be worthless like the leftists and their supporters?
It is hard to enforce equality when the troops keep demonstrating superiority in every way.
Super Tucanos are VERY capable aircraft.
THe SOCOM boys wouldn’t put in a specific request for them if they were not EXACTLY the right tool for the task at hand
It is hard to enforce equality when the troops keep demonstrating superiority in every way.
Plus the effeminate males of the Left have no idea what it takes to be a warrior and win a war.
Good one...
If the Army was allowed to operated the Skyraider as a ground attack aircraft to supplement the A-10, many of our problems with ground attack would be over.
The Spad, if they brought it back, could do the job.
Best,
Chris
Wish I could claim credit but that is Helpfulresearcher’s writing.:)
Ithink it would take a good bit of time to get production going again for the Skyraider.
The Super Tucano is in production now.
A Brazilian bird - but Highly capable
Longer loitering time but easier to shoot down.
UAV’s work just as well.
What I am talk'n about...
Piper PA-48 Enforcer (pictured above). The PA-48 is an updated version of the World War II-era North American P-51 Mustang, which the USAF evaluated in the early 1970s for a possible COIN role. One potential issue is the PA-48 would not meet the USAF's requirement for a two-seat fighter.
Talk about a slick ride to cruse the Texas Mexican border, forget the drones.
Interesting- never saw one of those before.
Wow, that’s a lot of hard points.
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