Goodbye A10 and U2

[Yertis]

I see these fleets are now to be retired, I guess replaced by UAVs. Looks to me like manned combat aircraft are on the way out. Sic transit gloria etc.

[Z06George]

Do you know just how soon they plan on doing it?

[ecsrobin]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-26326969

At the moment it's only a proposal, they've tried a few times to get rid of the A10 but have so far not succeeded.

[IanMorewood]

USAF don't like the A10 all that much it's not pointy enough.

[MartG]

I've heard the US Army is trying to convince the government to let them take over the A-10s from the AF - sensible seeing as how it's their troops that need the support it can give ( and the F-35 can't )

[scubadude]

I can understand how you could replace the U2 with a UAV but the A-10's job surely requires a man on the stick, dodging trees, pylons, hills and buildings then razing the target at the last second- not yet seen a virtual piloting system that could anyway come close to the speed required for low-level straffing.

[ecain63]

Sad to hear the A-10 is being eyed for disposal. I tell you, it's a sound like no other when that thing lets rip. Like a dragon roaring overhead. Shame it doesn't have the load to hang around for long though, a real pain when you're in need of CAS.

[IanMorewood]

scubadude said:

I can understand how you could replace the U2 with a UAV but the A-10's job surely requires a man on the stick, dodging trees, pylons, hills and buildings then razing the target at the last second- not yet seen a virtual piloting system that could anyway come close to the speed required for low-level straffing.

I thing the idea is loiter at 10k and pick the target off with a Brimstone or similar from your Reaper/Predator/other UAV. Straffing stuff with bullets/canon will soon be the preserve of the twirly birds.

[y2blade]

ecain63 said:

Sad to hear the A-10 is being eyed for disposal. I tell you, it's a sound like no other when that thing lets rip. Like a dragon roaring overhead. Shame it doesn't have the load to hang around for long though, a real pain when you're in need of CAS.

+1
They are like nothing else in the air.

It'll be a sad day when they ground them

[Talksteer]

scubadude said:

I can understand how you could replace the U2 with a UAV but the A-10's job surely requires a man on the stick, dodging trees, pylons, hills and buildings then razing the target at the last second- not yet seen a virtual piloting system that could anyway come close to the speed required for low-level straffing.

The A10 was always going to have an issue in a non permissive air environment, ergo one with fighters and large SAM's in it. You can try to avoid these by flying low but that generally results in high attrition from crashing and even more prevalent ManPADs.

Hence it is very much cheaper to use drones to deliver Hellfires and 250lb bombs, the drones also have a better persistence than the A10. The trend is for smaller and smaller missiles that allow them to be used in much tighter environments than the A10s cannon.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GBU-44/B_Viper_Strike

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AGM-175_Griffin

Not going to long before they start deploying weapons design to hit single people.

[anonymous-user]

y2blade said:

ecain63 said:

Sad to hear the A-10 is being eyed for disposal. I tell you, it's a sound like no other when that thing lets rip. Like a dragon roaring overhead. Shame it doesn't have the load to hang around for long though, a real pain when you're in need of CAS.

+1
They are like nothing else in the air.

It'll be a sad day when they ground them

+ another 1
Had them fly CAS for a couple of missions in the very early days of Telic. Very reassuring sight.

[Eric Mc]

I remember reading an article in Aviation News article back when the A10 was just entering service (1979 or so).

They were reporting from live firing exercises on the Continent and the reporter was standing with a group of NATO observers as these new A-10s came in over the ranges, dropping bombs and firing their cannons.

A Luftwaffe observer said, "It's great to see the Stuka back in service".