In article , Daryl Hunt says...
(snippum)
" wrote in message
link.net...
(snip)
Even the USAF A-10 pilots say that the USAF is ignoring the
A-10 and hoping it'll go away.
Of course. It's the end of a way of life.
Tell the USAF that. I've been reading a few new articles and the USAF claims
that the A-10 will be in their inventory until 2028. They are even (finally)
updating it.
The A-10 owes much of it's life
to the Skyraider. Ever been "Had by a Spad?"
When we got involved in Vietnam, the USAF (once again) found itself without a
suitable attack aircraft - one that could carry gobs of ordinance, was slow and
had a long loiter time... and once again the USAF had to take a USN aircraft,
the A-1 Skyraider, to fufill a role that they neglected...
(snip)
And so can the F-16 in ground loadout.
If the USAF lets them. The USAF has a tendency to keep their sexy jets away from
CAS because it doesn't want to get their pretty jets hurt.
From what I saw, the A-10, although slower than a F-16, can do two attack runs
in the same time a F-16 can do one. The A-10 can loiter better than the F-16.
(snip)
What mission? It's main role for Tank busting was done by Bombers.
Nonsense. 80% of the MBTs taken out in Desert Storm were done by A-10s - even
the USAF has damitted that (USAF General Horner remarked that he took back
everything bad he said about the A-10 because it "saved his ass.")
Everything else, the F-16 and the F-18 can do with a normal load for ground
support.
F-16s pilots do not practice CAS enough.
And the F-16 can completely fill the role
The USAF dropped the "A-16" idea because they knew nobody
was daft
enough to buy it...
It can't fly slow enough and it can't direct gunfire
accurately enough. The numbers of "blue on blue" incidents
with F-16s should be enough to tell anyone that.
You seem to forget the number of A-10s as well. The 16 and the 18 can slow
down to 200 kts like the A-10 can and still deliver the load.
The A-10 can go down to about 110 knots. It's got some big ass boards on its
wings so that it can slow down effectively - the F-16 doesn't have that. The
A-10 is also more maneveurable than a F-16 at these speeds.
And unlike the F-16, the A-10 is a relatively "quiet" aircraft and is more adept
at sneaking up to mobile ground targets than a F-16 is (I know this cause one
snuck up on me at one time...).
the A-10 was supposed to do (and never did).
Desert Storm and Operation Iraqi Liberation?
Add Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Just Cause.
All of which have proven (at least to the US Army, US Navy
(hence A-12) and USMC that the A-10 is an excellent aircraft
with a continuing mission in Close Air Support.
You are using ground pounder PR. It's not going to save the A-10.
2028?
(snip)
Life expectancy of an A-10 against almost any Mig or SU
is about 30
seconds.
The A-10 isn't a fighter, right?
Do we expect that we will be unable to provide CAP and air
superiority anytime soon?
And if we go against a Military with a decent AF, what then?
What are those F-22s and F-15s for?
Do we just leave you ground pounders to fend for yourselves until AS can be
established?
F-22s and F-15s can't fly escort for A-10s?
Do we leave the A-10 home until then? What happens if there
is no forward Air Fields?
Odd thing about the A-10... it can fly off relatively unimproved airfields... if
we did go up against some country with a **** Hot Air Force, it'll be the F-22s,
F-16s, and F-15s that'll be grounded because their air bases and runways have
been shot up.
The A-10, OTOH, will be flying from makeshift runways...
The Forward AFs become the Carriers (F-18) and
the AF F-16s with external tanks. The A-10 sits out of range. North Korea
is a prime example.
See above.
There were USAF A-10s at Bagram Air Field in the Sandbox, but there sure as hell
weren't any USAF F-16s there...
-Tom
"For the cause that lacks assistance/The wrong that needs ressistance/For the
Future in the distance/And the Good that I can do" - George Linnaeus Banks,
"What I Live for"
UMA Lemming 404 Local member, 404th MTN(LI)
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