The A-10 has proven itself to be the platform of choice for close air support missions, and many have criticised USAF plans to withdraw the aircraft as a cost saving measure. Source: US Air Force
Colin Clark, Breaking Defense: Air Force To Hold Close Air Support Summit; May Need New Weapon
ORLANDO: The Air Force, under heavy pressure from Congress to keep the A-10 Warthog in the air, will hold a mini-summit with the Army, Navy and Marines to figure out the best ways to do Close Air Support, the politically sensitive mission of aircraft protecting troops on the ground.
Gen. Hawk Carlisle, head of Air Combat Command, told reporters here at the Air Force Association’s annual winter conference that the service would be looking at all manner of ways to kill enemy troops shooting at American and allied troops. Carlisle said the service would consider buying a new weapon to do CAS.
WNU Editor: I take this as an admission that maybe the F-35 is not up to the job.
4 comments:
What about the AC-130 spectre gunship?
The F model is still doing CAS, but can only operate in a " permissive" air environment, above 5,000 meters. The aircraft is too vulnerable to ground fire and too heavy for evasive maneuvers or area's where the target envelope is limited by terrain.
The new G model, which is massively sensored, carries a couple ton of guided munitions, and has a modular mission package, shakes and bakes so bad that entire systems go offline. It won't be deployable until they fix the problems.
In Afghanistan, the AC-130's pretty much come out only at night, and are limited in the areas they can operate.
WNU Editor,
My guess, is that this Confrence will be used by the AirForce, to point out to the Army, Navy and Marine Brass, that thier post military Careers, in the Corporate sector, depends on killing the A-10, as much as the Air Force Brass's careers do,
That they are " all in it together" when it comes to the Corporate Gravy Train,
The cynic and realist in me agrees with you jay.
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