On 24 Sep 2003 18:04:47 GMT, OSPAM (PirateJohn)
wrote:

Couldn't have said it better myself. In fact, I think in the past I
have said it myself. The idea that the AF is "anti-CAS" or that there
is some sort of elitist panache to supersonic is flat wrong.



Perhaps. But I remember reading in the Myrtle Beach newspaper that the
commander of MBAFB was in hot water because he had been publicly discussing his
desires to replace the A-10 with F-16's. The reason given in the newspaper IIRC
was that the A-10 was too slow for the assignment.


Duh? Lemme see, would I like to keep driving my Yugo or get upgraded
to a Porsche Carrera S?

Of course! Any fighter aviator would be eager to switch from Hogs to
Vipers (except for that occasional strange group that seems to have an
inherited dislike of the electric jet.) And, it isn't much of a
stretch to suggest that the A-10 over the years with improvements in
air defenses could be considered to be too slow for some tasking. I
don't see a conflict in any of that.

But, I reiterate, the idea that the AF is "anti-CAS" is flat wrong.
CAS changes. Weapons change. Tactics change. CAS isn't necessarily
always "enemy in the wire", nape and strafe at 50 feet, "danger
close." It can be stand-off with precision munitions. It can be lased
or GPS'd. It can be anti-armor or anti-personnel. But, it's always
about US guys needing help from other US guys and the AF has never
been reluctant to do that.

And, the idea that the airplane isn't supersonic doesn't mean squat.
Which is more important--the top speed of a Corvette is 163 MPH or the
0-60 time is less than 6 seconds? The ability to have adequate power
to accelerate, to regain altitude, to sustain G is what's important.

There must assuredly has been and still is, a "fighter pilot mafia".
It's a collection of guys that fight hard to get the best equipment to
do the job, whatever it might be. But, don't attribute some sort of
elitism to them and don't suggest that they are anti-CAS.