Posted on 11/15/2013 5:31:04 AM PST by C19fan
A bipartisan group of senators and congressmen is fighting back against the U.S. Air Force’s move to prematurely retire all 350 of its A-10 Warthog attack planes between 2015 and 2018.
But the flying branch is already strangling the A-10 force with budget cuts, upgrade cancellations and a reduced contingent of new pilots.
The battle is intensifying in Washington, D.C. over the legendary warplane, which was originally meant to destroy Soviet tanks and has flown thousands of missions in Iraq and Afghanistan, saving scores of American lives with its overwhelming firepower.
(Excerpt) Read more at medium.com ...
The air force hates the A-10 cause it doesn’t have tapered wings?
The A-10 is one of the most feared ground support/attack weapons.
This would be a big mistake.
/johnny
Restart the Army Air Force.
The brass always wants new toys and unfortunately a lot of the top guys have one eye on the fight and another eye on their stock portfolios.
I say this as a former zoomie.
/johnny
Stinking fighter pilot mentality.
The A-10 is one of the best combat aircraft ever designed and still proves itself worthy even today.
The fighter pilots running the Air Force are so near-sighted just because it does not look all sleek and it does not have an air-to-air combat role.
The Air Force is run by fighter pilots. It does not like close air support and it institutionally despises the A-10 because it is not a fighter.
Hence the Army's reliance on helicopters because the Air Force refuses to develop close-in air support aircraft.
Let’s face it the “United States Air Force” AND the “National “Security” Act of 1947” were/are/and will continue to be HUGE MISTAKES.
A huge flying Gatling gun...great idea that works everytime...darn it!
And the Marines, too.
The pretty boys with the patent leather combat boots only want expensive trophy planes, anyway.
The Air Force is now populated by pussies who want to fly drones from cockpits in warehouses where the only flack they get is from eating the last donut.
Actually the A-10 would make a perfect pilot-less aircraft platform.
The same F-16 that only carries a namby-pamby 20mm and has a low loiter time.
I meet brainwashed yupsters who think if underwear models can bowl over defensive guards on their vampire TV show that they can expect the same results in real life. Fail.
Somehow I think pretty boys have gotten themselves making decisions for the armed services and the A-10 just isn`t “sexy” enough for them.
MONGOL GENERAL: Conan, what is sexiest in life?
CONAN: To crush your enemies, to see them driven before you, and to hear the lamentation of their women.
As a retired employee of a company that did a lot of defense contracting, I can verify that very little in these decisions is based on rational analysis of needed capability.
And a sh!tload of it is based on politics, crony capitalism, and union jobs.
Well, just Damn!
We are on the flight path for a local AFB training area, and live on top of a hill, with a seven mile valley to the south. We are regularly treated to practice bomb runs and jet chases. Some low enough to scare the horses in the pasture. Fast and loud.
The A-10’s, though, are the best in show. Slow lumbering up the valley and across our hill, low and slow. Pilots even acknowledge our nods and waves, now and then.
Truly will miss them if they go away.
One awesome aircraft. And a feared warrior.
Beef up the undercarriage and let the Marines have them.
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