I think they’ve been trying to phase out the damned things but who knows whats going on with the back end shit. Wouldn’t even be surprised if kegsbreth specifically kept them in commission because the look kool.
The Army wants to keep them. F-35s can’t do the A-10’s job properly, and the A-10 has a reputation. However, they are old with no replacement even in the works because the Air Force only wants bombers or fighters.
The Army wants to keep them. F-35s can’t do the A-10’s job properly, and the A-10 has a reputation. However, they are old with no replacement even in the works because the Air Force only wants bombers or fighters.
Which job is that? Killing hiluxes and insurgents with no air defense capabilities? Because against everybody else the A-10 throws stand-off munitions from medium altitude, when it’s not banned from entering hostile airspace.
It’s no coincidence nobody wants to operate it. Not any foreign air force, not USAF that is stuck with it and not the US army that was offered it(they are fine with USAF paying for it).
F-16s can do anything useful the A-10 can and much more.
The GAU-8 they built the A-10 around is a heckuva gun. It can also weather AA fire. An F-35 can only fire missiles (which, due to it’s internal weapons bays, are limited), and isn’t going to eat a flak around and still get home safely. It wasn’t designed for the same enviroment.
I thought the A-10 was decommissioned…?
He was ONE day from retirement!
I think they’ve been trying to phase out the damned things but who knows whats going on with the back end shit. Wouldn’t even be surprised if kegsbreth specifically kept them in commission because the look kool.
The Army wants to keep them. F-35s can’t do the A-10’s job properly, and the A-10 has a reputation. However, they are old with no replacement even in the works because the Air Force only wants bombers or fighters.
Which job is that? Killing hiluxes and insurgents with no air defense capabilities? Because against everybody else the A-10 throws stand-off munitions from medium altitude, when it’s not banned from entering hostile airspace.
It’s no coincidence nobody wants to operate it. Not any foreign air force, not USAF that is stuck with it and not the US army that was offered it(they are fine with USAF paying for it).
F-16s can do anything useful the A-10 can and much more.
Maybe I am cynical, and I am by no way a military expert of any kind, but I would figure that an A-10 is more expendable than a F-35.
I am in the ‘A-10s are cool’ camp, but I do not think that they are particularly useful anymore on a modern battlefield.
The GAU-8 they built the A-10 around is a heckuva gun. It can also weather AA fire. An F-35 can only fire missiles (which, due to it’s internal weapons bays, are limited), and isn’t going to eat a flak around and still get home safely. It wasn’t designed for the same enviroment.