U.S. Air Force Photo by Ethan D. Wagner
Popular Mechanics: The Air Force Is Sending Its Light Attack Plane Competition to War
Two of the aircraft involved in the service's OA-X light attack plane competition are headed to a war zone.
The U.S. Air Force is sending two of the four aircraft involved in its OA-X light attack aircraft competition to the battlefield. The move, likely unprecedented, will allow the service to evaluate both airplanes in combat missions before a final purchase decision is made.
Aviation Week & Space Technology reports that the Air Force is sending the Embraer/Sierra Nevada A-29 Super Tucano and the Textron AT-6 Wolverine to a yet-to-be-determined war zone. Under a program nicknamed Combat Sent III, the Air Force will stand up an experimental squadron and send two A-29s and two AT-6s, along with seventy pilots and maintainers, to test the aircraft under combat conditions.
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WNU Editor: This is one way to find out how good these planes are .... put them into a war-zone, and see if they can perform as advertised.
5 comments:
Sorry, but their hull looks paper thin. The A10 could take quite a beating... and it had the advantage of psychological devastation. When fighters heard the Bbbbbrrrr of its 30mm gun, they'd run and abandon.
I just don't see them being quite as afraid of these planes - which means they'll not only not run but aim more steadily at them. OK they are smaller, BUT just look at how fragile they are and how little protection the pilot has.
I hope I'm wrong
You are probably right Anon. The first thing that I noticed about this plane is that it has only one engine. And is it as well protective as an A-10 .... not from what I am seeing.
If they just use the A-10s, their major resource requirement is simple low cost maintenance. They don't get to pay a manufacturer $$$ to produce new air frames. And that means no opportunity to enjoy the pork barrel, no sweet kickbacks, and no military staff or civilian contractors padding their resumes with fancy new job titles, pay raises, and promotions.
Anon:
There is a saying in English, I do not know how it's said exactly, but something like "Choose the tool for the task", and this apply very well on wars. The thing is that whenever we talking about an asset ( tank, plane, rifle, etc ), they all were designed based on the threats and trends of it's time, but by they enter or remain in service the situation on the battlefield may have changed, and they become obsolete in a way. In war adapting is a key, and sure it's a value when the obsolete/outaged/uncapable assets are turned into useful stuffs ( by upgrading them, developing new tactics that fit with these assets, we seen so many examples from poor factions ), but if there are resources to develope a new asset, specifically for the new threat, it's a path that worth to go along.
I believe in that in the right hand with the right way, everyhing can be a weapon, and be lethal, but if one of it isn't right, then you know what happens. Sure almost anything could shoot down this type of planes, there is no debate on this, but it's design and use is that could protect it. In tanks, when it comes to improve "survivability" and "defence", it's generally considered as a solution to adding more armor, while such things as speed, firing range, armament are not viewed as a defensive element, but thats wrong. This plane is designed to fight in wars which in the enemy does not have airforce, serious antiair system, could have MANPADs, but have no aintaircraft gun batteries, only heavy machineguns. Against this you do not need to fly a B52, nor an A10, as long as you can fire from the distance that far the enemy can't shoot effectively, you would be protected even in an old biplane. And this plane is ( among many things ) is designed for these scenarios. Because the conflict that are ongoing are different than what for the A10 was made. I like the A10, it's unique and usefull, a needed part of the US forces, but this plane gives something else, that also needed so badly. About the psyhological effect, sure it's make the enemy to change their pants, but isn't it even better when they don't hear the stirke coming? But as always, there is nothing to worry about, everything goes well, just keep the positive thinking, and hush away the negtive ones, this is not the F35 project.
This is very similar to the old A-1 Skyraiders (Sandys) of Viet Nam.
As mlacix is right in saying "This plane is designed to fight in wars which in the enemy does not have airforce, serious antiair system, could have MANPADs, but have no aintaircraft gun batteries, only heavy machineguns."
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