2026 Iran War Strategy and Analysis

[Gloire_bb]

Flying aircraft such as A-10 is criminal negligence

These aircrafts are more or less non-survivable in the modern era. It's one thing for Iran to fly air antiques due to tech and economic limitations but it's another thing altogether for US to willingly preserve this platform and even more, to actively use it in an active warzone.

It's such a stupid thing that I am half thinking that this is a conspiracy so that the Pentagon can point to this downing to finally convince Congress to retire this platform

For Sandy you'll have to fly low and slow anyway, as you're covering helicopters/prop planes, and later CSAR area(which is fixed) against any threat. Flying F-35 low and slow in manpad and flak range would be fun.
There's frequent argument that CAS is mission, not a plane(or way of doing things) - but here it's indeed way of doing things.
It's possible to make a manned ground attack aircraft better than A-10(and probably something like that will later appear from MV-75), but what happened yesterday is not the reason to retire the aircraft; quite the opposite.

 

[Atomicfrog]

Flying aircraft such as A-10 is criminal negligence

These aircrafts are more or less non-survivable in the modern era. It's one thing for Iran to fly air antiques due to tech and economic limitations but it's another thing altogether for US to willingly preserve this platform and even more, to actively use it in an active warzone.

It's such a stupid thing that I am half thinking that this is a conspiracy so that the Pentagon can point to this downing to finally convince Congress to retire this platform

A-10 is probably the only aircraft in US airwing that can fly in a long conflict because of its low maintenance. Most of the others will be grounded for maintenance so fast that they are probably in need of airwing rotation very soon if not already.

Yep A-10 are somewhat antique but they can fly slow enough to do Shahed interceptions, plinker gunboats overwater and not be bothered with small drones low yield warheads.

Only aircraft that can somewhat survive some frags from submunitions on the ground too and still be able to fly.

 

[sheogorath]

One thing seems to be becoming evident is that as they might be starting to run out of stand off munitions, so they are being forced into getting closer to hit targets and are starting to pay the price. Probably more so if they are relying on alleyways into Iranians cities they might have assumed to be clear of SAMs, making their routes predictable enough for the Iranians to pull off today's ambush.

 

[Ringsword]

Have they also set parental controls on his TV to block out all news channels?

So now it's pron only but no news for you??

 

[FriedRiceNSpice]

For Sandy you'll have to fly low and slow anyway, as you're covering helicopters/prop planes, and later CSAR area(which is fixed) against any threat. Flying F-35 low and slow in manpad and flak range would be fun.

A-10 is probably the only aircraft in US airwing that can fly in a long conflict because of its low maintenance. Most of the others will be grounded for maintenance so fast that they are probably in need of airwing rotation very soon if not already.

Where are the low quality Saheed knock-offs Lucas drones? Have they played any role in this conflict yet? The only footage I recall seeing are of them randomly crashing into the sea. Have they been deployed for anything else?

 

[sutton999]

The Nineday drone mothership is the next-generation replacement for A-10/Su-25-like aircraft.

Maintain a constant stream of small drones to handle CAS, while Nineday stays behind with a far less signature.

 

[TPenglake]

Other parallels with Russia's initial invasion of Ukraine is the shifting of goalposts. (I know some of y'all have your opinions on this, I'm just using examples) Much like how after Russia pulled out from the north, many Russian analysts and pro-Russia voices said the Kyiv offensive was only a feint, pro-MAGA and Zionist voices are now saying that regime change was never an American or Israeli objective to begin with.

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[manqiangrexue]

The US and Israel keep assassinating Iran’s hardliners because they want to deal with pro-West Reformist faction like Zarif and Rouhani like in Venezuela with Delcy Rodriguez. The article by Zarif in Foriegn Affairs is a signal to the US to keep assassinating hardliners until Reformists take power. US is not assassinating any Reformist people in Iran.

Except they've been doing that in reverse. Old leaders that were Mossad-infiltrated, soft negotiators always looking to talk, 86 year olds with cancer who forbade nuclear development in Iran were killed, allowing young hardliners to take over. And when one of them gets killed, another hardliner steps in. That about sums up how strategically confused they were in attacking Iran.

If true, strong evidence that ground operations are planned soon if not imminent:

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/2040256730785804792

Oh, you know it's the USA and its old ugly used up tricks. They're just waiting for Iran to negotiate and come to a peace deal before launching the invasion. "Honest Sam's Used Car Dealership" level cringe.

 

[ACuriousPLAFan]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/2040321909586636830

Place the whole-ass HQ of an entire numbered fleet right at the doorstep of the enemy with substantially-sized and capable tactical missile and drone arsenals - All while NOT having the necessary capabilities to credibly defend the HQ against such threats (let alone keeping them functional beyond skeleton crew-level of capability) - Sounds really stupid if not downright incompetent.

Speaking of which, there is also one other USN numbered fleet's HQ which is located abroad and within proximity of the opposing side's homeland, i.e. 7th Fleet at Yokosuka. And if the blaze of Operation AR reaches the Japanese home soil, the treatments that the 7th Fleet HQ can expect to face will make what has happened to the 5th Fleet HQ mere child's play.

 

[Ringsword]

A-10 is probably the only aircraft in US airwing that can fly in a long conflict because of its low maintenance. Most of the others will be grounded for maintenance so fast that they are probably in need of airwing rotation very soon if not already.

Yep A-10 are somewhat antique but they can fly slow enough to do Shahed interceptions, plinker gunboats overwater and not be bothered with small drones low yield warheads.

Only aircraft that can somewhat survive some frags from submunitions on the ground too and still be able to fly.

Here I thought that the A10(titanium cockpit I've read) -which was designed to fight/survive over the European battlefied versuses the Soviet mechanized infantry divisions with their organic air defence units armed with ZSU23's,RPG'S and mobile SA series SAM's and they get shot down /damaged by Iranian AD systems which is very commendable but certainly not in the league of the Soviet Ground Forces at their height in sophistication/volume-wow,what's going on?