Article

2024-03-07 -Land of the Free

Why the A-10 Warthog Retirement Is a Disaster

[NationalInterest] The fight to save the A-10 has never been about the airplane. It has always been about saving the capability and the institutional knowledge of the attack pilot community.

Posted by NoMoreBS 2024-03-07 00:00|| || Front Page|| [11134 views ] Top
File under: Tin Hat Dictators, Presidents for Life, & Kleptocrats

But we are no strangers to government "disasters."

Posted by Besoeker 2024-03-07 03:43|| 2024-03-07 03:43|| Front Page Top

#2 ....Here's the problem.

I am a proud Hog Ammo Troop. Mr. Hog holds a place in my heart equal to my beloved Miss Buffy. He has done his job well for nearly fifty years.

But the world has moved on, and from a technological standpoint, the Hog - and its pilots - would be at unacceptable risk from any kind of opponent who could bring modern aircraft and anti-aircraft weaponry into a fight.

It's time now. We can rightfully criticize My Beloved Service for their consistent, seventy-six year long policy of placing air superiority and strategic bombing above CAS. But keeping the Hog in the line much longer would be a mistake.

Mike

Posted by MikeKozlowski 2024-03-07 06:53|| 2024-03-07 06:53|| Front Page Top

#3 ^ Never bring facts to an emotional argument.

Posted by M. Murcek 2024-03-07 07:00|| 2024-03-07 07:00|| Front Page Top

#4 Agreed, Mike. The A-10 is an exceptional aircraft for CAS, provided there is total air superiority and the 'targets' have only rudimentary ground-to-air capabilities.

They do create incredible destruction and sound really cool, however.

Posted by Mullah Richard 2024-03-07 07:03|| 2024-03-07 07:03|| Front Page Top

#5 The American way of war has been based on air superiority since WWII. To the point where some people assume it's a given, and it ain't.

Posted by ed in texas 2024-03-07 09:25|| 2024-03-07 09:25|| Front Page Top

#6 Mike and others are right. I love the plane and crew. Let the Hog retire with dignity. Maybe some airshows to remember…

Posted by Warthog 2024-03-07 10:10|| 2024-03-07 10:10|| Front Page Top

#7 The A-10 is an exceptional aircraft for CAS, provided there is total air superiority and the 'targets' have only rudimentary ground-to-air capabilities.

ASUP is not the A10's mission.
That's the job of somebody else.

Posted by Skidmark 2024-03-07 10:39|| 2024-03-07 10:39|| Front Page Top

#8 Air superiority is one of the main battle battlespaces in a peer or near-peer conflict, but how many of those have we been in in the past 70 years. Conversely, CAS is hugely important to offset the shortfalls our ground forces face in any kind of land-based scrimmage for bases, ports or critical terrain. In those conflicts, absent an A-10 form of USAF CAS aircraft, the entire tactical CAS mission would devolve to Army Aviation. Yet I see nothing in future force structure or budgets anticipating this increased asset need. Nor do I anticipate that national political leaderships has plans to abandon power projection as a foreign policy tool. So isn't the abandonment of the A-10 foreshadowing a glaring capabilities deficit for the asymmetric military toolbox Washington is addicted to using?

Posted by NoMoreBS 2024-03-07 13:08|| 2024-03-07 13:08|| Front Page Top

#9 ^What about Houtiland?

Posted by Grom the Reflective 2024-03-07 13:12|| 2024-03-07 13:12|| Front Page Top

#10 What is in the pipeline to replace the CAS role? I realize the A-10 is doomed, but is there anything to replace it? Some have mentioned the F-35.That's ridiculous.
I also realize that the Air Forces doesn't care about CAS. It's just some ground pounders getting mauled.

Posted by Rambler in Virginia 2024-03-07 13:17|| 2024-03-07 13:17|| Front Page Top

#11 Given the wonderful results being seen in Ukraine and the US Army's ongoing difficulties meeting recruitment goals, the days of large swarms of ground pounders are over, regardless what's being "taught" at the war colleges.

Posted by M. Murcek 2024-03-07 13:18|| 2024-03-07 13:18|| Front Page Top

#12 I'm down in shop, away from my laptop. Thought I saw something about a pending SF deployment to Taiwan. Maybe one of the others can find it and post it.

Posted by Besoeker 2024-03-07 13:42|| 2024-03-07 13:42|| Front Page Top

#13 US Green Berets reportedly permanently based in Taiwan for 1st time

Posted by Skidmark 2024-03-07 15:09|| 2024-03-07 15:09|| Front Page Top

#14 /\ You're the man Skidster.

Posted by Besoeker 2024-03-07 16:13|| 2024-03-07 16:13|| Front Page Top

#15 any CAS craft is a fav in my book! and the a10 looks mean.

Posted by irish rage boy 2024-03-07 16:48|| 2024-03-07 16:48|| Front Page Top

#16 Flying JP233 type drone mother loaded with explosive drones with a choice of on the fly tracking system - manual, guided, AI, mix? Maybe fuse options too, proximate, contact, delay?

Not as much fun as brrrrrrt.

Posted by swksvolFF 2024-03-07 18:25|| 2024-03-07 18:25|| Front Page Top

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