Defense Department: The F-35 Will Not Protect U.S. Gound Troops As Well As The A-10

An A-10 Warthog sits at the Al Asad Air Base in Iraq. Source: DVIDS, Master Sgt. Cecilio Ricardo

Bloomberg: First F-35 Jets Lack Ground-Combat Punch of 1970s-Era A-10s

The first F-35 jets ready for combat won’t be able to protect forces in ground combat as well as the nearly 40-year-old A-10s the Pentagon wants to retire, according to the Defense Department’s chief weapons tester.

Compared with the lumbering A-10, known as the Warthog, the initial F-35s made by Lockheed Martin Corp. will be handicapped by limits on how many weapons they can carry, flying at night and spotting targets as well as how long they can remain over them, Michael Gilmore, director of operational testing, said in a statement prepared for a House Armed Services subcommittee hearing.

Previous Post: The U.S. Force Admits That They Do Not Have A Plan For Close Air Support When The A-10 Is Gone

WNU Editor: It is now official .... the F-35 will not be able to protect ground forces as well as the A-10s.