This will stir the inter-service pot

LVSteve

LVSteve

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Article in The War Zone written by an A-10 pilot as to why they need the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet as a replacement. This guy seems convinced that the F-35 at its current production and training tempo just isn't going to cut it when it comes the CAS mission. I found his comments on retraining, especially regarding the centrifuge, very enlightening.

A-10 Pilot'''s Compelling Case For Replacing Warthogs With Super Hornets

The whole "kite from another service" thing and its logistics tail probably mean the plan is DOA, but who knows.
 
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The F-35 as a multi- role aircraft is a work in progress. I'm not sold on using a 80 million dollar fighter for CAS is always a good idea. Fast movers have their place, but not sure about Super Hornet either. The A-10 has been declared dead before, but it's still here. It is a feared and effective weapon in certain environments, and I would like to continue until something similar but better comes along.
 
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Puff the Magic Dragon.

...and by that I mean the Lockheed version (with apologies to Marvel Comics).

Old, slow...can still reek massive amounts of flaming horrid and painful oblivion on the enemy.

Or we can talk the Harrier jumpjet.

Or the Huey

Or the B-52

Fact is if it works it shouldn't be messed with.

The latest isn't always the greatest and the latest is usually obsolete the second the bad guys get their hands on one.
 
Rudi said:
"They" should start making new A 10s.
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The company that made them and the tooling no longer exists. To make a new A-10 would literally be starting all over. Why would anyone go to that much work to build a 35-year-old aircraft? It's like saying Ford should start making Model Ts again.
 
SMSgt said:
The company that made them and the tooling no longer exists. To make a new A-10 would literally be starting all over. Why would anyone go to that much work to build a 35-year-old aircraft? It's like saying Ford should start making Model Ts again.
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A 10s sure do work well. More is better.
 
Countrycuz said:
The F-35 as a multi- role aircraft is a work in progress. I'm not sold on using a 80 million dollar fighter for CAS is always a good idea. Fast movers have their place, but not sure about Super Hornet either. The A-10 has been declared dead before, but it's still here. It is a feared and effective weapon in certain environments, and I would like to continue until something similar but better comes along.
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This is where the Super Hornet is ahead, it's already a multi-role aircraft. Can it be as good as the A-10 in the low and slow envelope? Probably not, but neither is much else except a Skyraider or a Douglas Invader. yeah, like that's going to happen.;)

One thing the Ukraine conflict has taught us is that the surviveability of aircraft is pretty low at the forward edge of battle. Getting in close with stuff like the A-10 and the Apache as was planned in the 80s and 90s is probably just going to get a lot of people killed against peer opponent. CAS in the future is likely to be more a case of calling in stand-off ordnance from a bomb/missile truck orbiting just out of reach of the enemy's SAM systems. That could just as easily be a Super Hornet or the latest F-15 variant. The beauty of those is that when you do need more air-to-air capability, you just load them up with AMRAAMs and take your targeting information from the F-22s and F-35s.

Could you upgrade the A-10 to do the stand-off CAS mission? Maybe, but the air-to-air mission is beyond it, IMHO. The A-10 just cannot get to far away places fast enough, and probably not high enough, either.
 
Yes make More Model Ts - No Onbard Computer -

SMSgt said:
The company that made them and the tooling no longer exists. To make a new A-10 would literally be starting all over. Why would anyone go to that much work to build a 35-year-old aircraft? It's like saying Ford should start making Model Ts again.
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Model Ts were reliable and simple to repair.

Bekeart
 
SMSgt said:
The company that made them and the tooling no longer exists. To make a new A-10 would literally be starting all over. Why would anyone go to that much work to build a 35-year-old aircraft? It's like saying Ford should start making Model Ts again.
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Well, I for one would like to see Toyota start making a 1982 FJ40 again.....
 
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The upside of a "multirole" aircraft is, if done right, it will be good at everything. The downside is it will not be great at anything. The F-4 Phantom was a good example. It was a flying gunboat and played every role possible during Vietnam. It was not the best CAS fighter (thus the A-10) nor the best air superiority fighter (thus the F-16, F-15 series). Different roles call for different designs and capabilities. While the A-10 could be adapted to use standoff weapons, I doubt it would be worthwhile to add the necessary equipment needed due to weight and space requirements. Not on an aircraft last produced in the early '80s.
 
I think I know where Burrrrt got his call-sign. Very interesting article but I have to go get a TTE (transthorasic Echocardiogram).

More comments later, especially an CSAR, FAC(A) and Hunter/Killer.
 
SMSgt said:
Why would anyone go to that much work to build a 35-year-old aircraft? It's like saying Ford should start making Model Ts again.
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only thing I can say about the statement above if if there is a job best dome by a Model T...make the model T stronger...more reliable and go with what works. The A-10 works awesomely in it's role. To try starting over means you would end up with a plane to do multiple roles adequately...but none superbly...and...ah.... this is the gummit....at MUCH higher cost
 
SMSgt said:
The company that made them and the tooling no longer exists. To make a new A-10 would literally be starting all over. Why would anyone go to that much work to build a 35-year-old aircraft? It's like saying Ford should start making Model Ts again.
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Given that they recently shipped a $61K Mustang GT premium and the seats didn't even match, perhaps they should return to the T and start over
 
The author's main point wasn't about keeping the A-10, but rather keeping the CAS community's institutional memory in service. Infantry will always need CAS, and CAS will always need FAC/A to avoid fratricide and ensure effective placement of firepower in a very fluid and violent arena. AFAIK, the F-35 has not been tasked with that mission and cannot presently be produced in sufficient numbers, nor is it a mature technology. Something has to be made available to fill that niche, and the author makes a convincing case that the F-18E/F is in a sweet spot to fill the coming gap in that mission. It appears our biggest existential threat will come from China, and he made an impressive point that our allies in that region are already using that aircraft. That commonality is a plus if conflict erupts and attrition rates skyrocket.
 
Golddollar said:
I would like to see Ford making Mercury Grand Marquises again with V-8 engines.
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Come down here to Florida you can buy lots of them. White only! Low miles.:D


iu
 
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