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Home Front: WoT
Not Quite Ready for the Boneyard
2008-08-28
The U-2 and A-10 may be around for awhile.
Posted by:tu3031

#8  There's serious debate within the USAF per se about the Service's post-WOT Mission, espec as per SPACE WAR + EXPLORATION.
Posted by: JosephMendiola   2008-08-28 22:43  

#7  Like the F-16, the A-10 is one hell of a good aircraft, forced on the Pentagon by the Crazy Colonel.

The puzzle palace does NOT like to be forced into doing what they ought to be doing in the first place. It pisses 'em off something terrible.

And yes, the AF brass hated it. The Marines love it, as they did the Colonel. One of the few AF officers in Arlington with a Marine ball-and-bird on his headstone.
Posted by: mojo   2008-08-28 13:48  

#6  The Air Farce doesn't like the A-10 because it isn't supersonic, it isn't stealthy, and it doesn't cost multimillions per copy. The Defense Department should give the A-10s to the Army and Marine Corps.
Posted by Rambler in California


Better yet, the USAF should be re-integrated into the Army and be done with it.

The Navy and Marines are responsible for their own air support, why should the Army be any different?

And (pardon me but I'm about to offend some USAF vets) why the Hell should my tax dollars go to support the Country Club of the armed forces?

As a footnote, my real views on the Armed Forces are a bit more radical. Read (no, not see the movie, READ) the book Starship Troopers by Robert A. Heinlein for an interesting take on the Armed Forces and gov't in general.
Posted by: DLR   2008-08-28 12:47  

#5  The Air Farce doesn't like the A-10 because it isn't supersonic, it isn't stealthy, and it doesn't cost multimillions per copy. The Defense Department should give the A-10s to the Army and Marine Corps.
Posted by: Rambler in California   2008-08-28 12:17  

#4  "Military would ever think about deactivating the A-10"

The zoomies never wanted it to begin with and always try to kill it off. Yet after 30 years, it's still highly useful and still here. May it live another 30 years. For COIN/CAS, it's still the best. Perhaps one day to be superseded by a UAV.
Posted by: Slats Glans2659   2008-08-28 12:07  

#3  Like the old "Spad" of Viet Nam...the A4D, Skyraider, the A-10 is the best friend the modern infantry has.

I loved the "Spad", it had a loiter time of about 10 hours and it carried enough crap to make any NVA Regimental commander wet his pants.

I don't understand, why in this day of asymmetrical warfare, counterinsurgency and just flat nutjob crazies, they Military would ever think about deactivating the A-10...I would say they need to unroll the blue prints and make about a zillion more of those pups.
Posted by: James Carville   2008-08-28 10:57  

#2  Every ground pounder I've ever known or whose opinion I'v read has had nothing but the highest praise for the A-10. When it comes to being on-time and on-target, there just isn't anything like it.
Posted by: Jolutch Mussolini7800   2008-08-28 10:32  

#1  My yard work has an occasional additional reward as I hear the graceful moan of a radial engine DC-3 flying overhead.
Posted by: Besoeker   2008-08-28 10:21  

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