Because about half a century ago the Army lost a fight with the Air Force and with that the right to use aircraft other than helicopters.
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TerraN_EmpirE
Tyrant King
Its a comprise that as time as gone by has become more and more comprised. The air force who insisted on taking all the US Army's fixed wing aviation has over the decades become more and more specialized in what jobs they will and will not do. Over time this has allowed the army to reestablish a fixed wing aviation force but typically those crafts are all turboprops, the Air Force would "drop" kittens if the US Army ever tried to buy jets.
now the Drones have the budget, and A10 has the cut. In the long run the A10 will eventually have to retire but a way to extend its life in my opinion would be the drone conversion concept that was put forward a couple years back.
eventually the support role would have to be taken up though by the army and Marines as the Air force is aiming to F35A which although better then say F16 for the Job its no A10. The best way to make up the gap in capacity would as I see it be CAS capable UCAVs and a expanded fleet of Multi mission compound attack/antitank helicopters.
now the Drones have the budget, and A10 has the cut. In the long run the A10 will eventually have to retire but a way to extend its life in my opinion would be the drone conversion concept that was put forward a couple years back.
eventually the support role would have to be taken up though by the army and Marines as the Air force is aiming to F35A which although better then say F16 for the Job its no A10. The best way to make up the gap in capacity would as I see it be CAS capable UCAVs and a expanded fleet of Multi mission compound attack/antitank helicopters.
kwaigonegin
Colonel
and like I said that was a mistake. As a matter a fact before USAF there was only USAAF as in US Army Air Force.
Kind of makes you wonder too if PLAAF will one day just become PRAF (People's Republic Air Force) or something to that effect LOL
Miragedriver
Brigadier
Maybe the Army should consider operating a turboprop version of an A-1 Skyraider type aircraft. That way the Air Force will not "drop" kittens” if they use A-10’s
"Drop" kittens” It took me five minutes to stop laughing……Great visual
The A-10 is far more than a one trick, anti-armor pony.
It's main 30mm gun (which everyone naturally talks about) is great for that, but it also has ELEVEN HARD POINTS and carriers A LOT of ordinance for the infantry ground support role. The thing is a literal bomb, missile, rocket, etc. carrying Mac Truck.
This aircraft has GREAT loiter time, and is in-flight refuelable, so it can hang around a long time in support of troops.
As to its ruggedness, well, the A-10 it is very hard to kill and can take immense damage, including direct hits from armor-piercing and high-explosive projectiles up to 23 mm to its overall fueselage, and up to 57mm to the pilot area. .It has been desinged with a double-redundancy hydralic flight system. Failing that, a mechanical system acts as a third back up in case all hydraulics are lost. The aircraft has been DESIGNED to fly with one engine, one tail, one elevator, and even up to half of one wing missing.
Around the pilot there is an exceptiomnally heavily armored section called the "bathtub." it is made up of titanium armor from 1/2 to 1 1.25 inches thick. The bathtub has been tested against strikes from up to up to 57 mm rounds.
Now, the F-35 is going to bre great aircraft, includoing the ground attack role, but it cannot begin to compare woith the A-10 in the close air support support role.
It is lunacy to consider retiring these aircraft. Besides, neither the close ground support role, or the anti-armor role has gone away. Far from it.. All one has to do is look at the major potetnial advesaries of the US and the armor those nations are continuing to develop to know this is ture.
Now, I pray that we never have to have such conflict...but one of the best ways to avoid it is to keep systems like the A-10 in service to deter it.
Just as an example, if you doubt the ruggedness of this aricraft, in 2003, over Baghdad, an A-10 piloted by Captain Kim Campbell, a female US Air Force combat pilot, sustained heavy anti-aircraft damage and was significantly damaged. It knocked out one of the A-10's engines, crippled its hydraulic systems...both of which failed, and the aircraft's flight controls had to be reverted to the manual mode. The aircraft sustained numerous hits to the rear of the aircraft, including the horizontal stabilizer, tail section and engine cowling, Captain Campbell could not see the damage, but her flight leader, Lt. Col. Richard Turner, positioned his aircraft where he could view the damage and helped her assess the damage.
Despite this damage, Captain Campbell, operated the aircraft for an hour while assessing the damage, and then returning successfully to base and landing safely. Here's are some pictures of that damage and others that A--10 airccraft have sustained and landed safely anyway.
Phenominal stuff. That last picture is an A-10 that took an anti-aircraft missile strike in one of its engines and yet was able to fly home and land.
The F-35 will never be able to do this, no was it designed to. The A-10 can get down very close and personal, support the troops, take damage if necessary, and then come back to fight another day.
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TerraN_EmpirE
Tyrant King
In order to properly replace the A10 the USAF would either have to develop a true replacement for the A10 that is a rugged twin engine platform with equivalent firepower. Or a total reconfiguration of the quantity and types of combat platforms in US service. including expansion of and development of Marine and Army Rotary wing attack assets, Expansion of UCAV fleets and AC130 numbers as well as expansion of F35 buys. basicly its such a unique type with such a critical role that just retiring it is like pulling the foundation stones out form under your house.
That doesn't seem to bother the current crew at the helm, the A-10, and the U-2 have been on borrowed time, the Army, Navy, and Marines have lobbied for and bought the J-oint S-trike F-ighter, and killed the lovely Raptor, because to the ground-pounders, theres only one mission. So go ahead cheap shot the Air Force, while shes down, you'll miss her when she's gone, the aviators purge at the top will only continue to give us the FAIR FORCE, or maybe the FAIRY FORCE, the only job they'll be fit for will be pollinating wild flowers in the valley. HHHHAAAAAAAAccCCHChhhhChh, SPIT! brat
TerraN_EmpirE
Tyrant King
U2 has a suitable replacement GlobalHawk which when you consider the elimination of the penetration mission would do the Job. A10 lacks a suitable successor, and was one of the most loved mission platforms in USAF Service by the other services.
Welll, problem is, T_E, this admin wants to get rid of the Apaches too!
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