THE CASE FOR LONG-RANGE STRIKE: 21ST CENTURY SCENARIOS.

On Feb 11, 3:55*pm, wrote:
On Feb 11, 2:41*pm, "Paul J. Adam" wrote:

They're also elderly and short of energy, which makes them less
survivable against any significant threat. The A-10 is a classic case of
designing for today's problem: it was intended to stand up to
optically-aimed AAA and first-generation MANPADS, but the threat moved
on rapidly.

A-10's weren't really survivable against Iraq in 1991. 144 were sent
and five were lost (another OA-10 was lost too) making it the Allied
airframe that was shot down the most in Desert Storm. 249 F-16's
deployed, and only three were lost. Oh, and the A-10 couldn't use its
gun for most of the war- USAF aircraft were for the most part ordered
to stay above 10k feet, because of the threat of Iraqi air defenses.
For a few days the USAF let up on that requirement, but extensive
losses of A-10's forced the USAF to put that requirement back in
place.

They were also flying close support and going low. So they were
getting in close to the antiaircraft threats.

Countermeasures against new SAMs etc. have surely advanced since
1991.

Chris Manteuffel