And what country can preserve its liberties if their rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance? Let them take arms. The remedy is to set them right as to facts, pardon and pacify them. What signify a few lives lost in a century or two? The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.
Wednesday, November 19, 2025
The Air Force should always have at least this many. Wonderfully useful aircraft.
Use of the A10 requires that the Air Force first establishes absolute air supremacy and that it eliminates all ground air defenses. Otherwise, the A10 is just target practice.
That doesn't mean the A10 is bad. Just that its use requires certain conditions. US ground forces in general require absolute air supremacy to function, so the requirements of the A10 are not unusual.
It is excellent in the ground attack role it was intended for. Unfortunately, the fighter coalition that runs the USAF doesn’t see that as “sexy enough”. The Army absolutely lives the A-10. It’s like a big security blanket with a 30mm gun.
The Douglas A1 Skyraider in Vietnam was our A-10. Haven being shot down in our Huey gunships a number of times we loved the Skyraider covering us with their 20mm cannon. I believe they will make a big mistake getting rid of the A-10. Politicians should be made to spend some ground time with the troops in a hot combat area and see how they like taking fire. you just might see some attitudes changing.
I see an HH-60 crew, upwards of 30 A-10 pilots, 2 C-130 crews, and behind them scores of maintainers, who when the Wing Commander tasked them to participate in this photo op, did their best to not roll their eyes as they asked themselves "Does this photo make us a more deadly Air Force ?".
We have the blue prints, lets make more. It is one of the few aircraft designed using Colonel Boyd's EM theory of managed entropy in the flight envelope. The other is the F-15.
The A10 platform is aging out. Becoming too expensive and difficult to maintain. But it's primary mission will continue to exist. So a replacement of similar capabilities needs to be created. If the Air Force can't or won't do that then the Army should. And to hell with the egos of the AF brass.
The B-52 is far older and still in service. They did a few minor changes and kept it flying. The problem with creating a brand-new platform is that it is never right. The A-10 got it right. The F-35 is a major federal government boondoggle that will never - ever perform as intended.
Wasn't the F-35 sold as a replacement for the A-10, supposedly adding to capability platform. The trouble with making an "all purpose" aircraft is that it can't ever perform any of its tasks well, at least that's what I've read.
I am pretty sure that the F-35 was introduced without any machineguns. It has rockets and bombs only. It will never - ever be able to provide CAS of any kind.
Use of the A10 requires that the Air Force first establishes absolute air supremacy and that it eliminates all ground air defenses. Otherwise, the A10 is just target practice.
ReplyDeleteThat doesn't mean the A10 is bad. Just that its use requires certain conditions. US ground forces in general require absolute air supremacy to function, so the requirements of the A10 are not unusual.
It is excellent in the ground attack role it was intended for. Unfortunately, the fighter coalition that runs the USAF doesn’t see that as “sexy enough”. The Army absolutely lives the A-10. It’s like a big security blanket with a 30mm gun.
DeleteSFC D
The Douglas A1 Skyraider in Vietnam was our A-10. Haven being shot down in our Huey gunships a number of times we loved the Skyraider covering us with their 20mm cannon. I believe they will make a big mistake getting rid of the A-10. Politicians should be made to spend some ground time with the troops in a hot combat area and see how they like taking fire. you just might see some attitudes changing.
DeleteGreat picture, but I see another side to this.
ReplyDeleteI see an HH-60 crew, upwards of 30 A-10 pilots, 2 C-130 crews, and behind them scores of maintainers, who when the Wing Commander tasked them to participate in this photo op, did their best to not roll their eyes as they asked themselves "Does this photo make us a more deadly Air Force ?".
azlibertarian
Seriously, what did this pik cost the taxpayers, and how did they benefit from it?
DeleteTo me, the Air Farce hoarding this aircraft and not allowing the other services access for Close Air Support it a major tragedy of the highest level.
ReplyDeleteWe have the blue prints, lets make more. It is one of the few aircraft designed using Colonel Boyd's EM theory of managed entropy in the flight envelope. The other is the F-15.
ReplyDeleteSpin
Heh! That all US Navy gear! Lol
ReplyDeleteThe A10 platform is aging out. Becoming too expensive and difficult to maintain. But it's primary mission will continue to exist. So a replacement of similar capabilities needs to be created. If the Air Force can't or won't do that then the Army should. And to hell with the egos of the AF brass.
ReplyDeleteThe B-52 is far older and still in service. They did a few minor changes and kept it flying. The problem with creating a brand-new platform is that it is never right. The A-10 got it right. The F-35 is a major federal government boondoggle that will never - ever perform as intended.
DeleteWasn't the F-35 sold as a replacement for the A-10, supposedly adding to capability platform. The trouble with making an "all purpose" aircraft is that it can't ever perform any of its tasks well, at least that's what I've read.
DeleteNemo
I am pretty sure that the F-35 was introduced without any machineguns. It has rockets and bombs only. It will never - ever be able to provide CAS of any kind.
DeleteSomething A-10 plus drone.
ReplyDeleteFor years they trained in that bad boy in Myrtle Beach SC. Used to love to see pairs sweep over the golf course. Mucho Macho!!
ReplyDeleteThat's a whole lotta ground support!
ReplyDelete