RIP: A-10 Warthog

[tkam]

Sad   - http://www.dodbuzz.com/2013/09/18/air-force-mourns-likely-passing-of-a-10-warthog

 

 

[Pars]

Yep. They are still using B52s, which are MUCH older ('50s).

[Grahame]

So what provides CAS these days?

JDAM's from the B52's?

[blessingx]

Thought this was a RSA thread. Didn't understand tone.

[Emooze]

F-35 is supposed to replace the A-10 I had heard. Not sure how without the flight time or loiter capability.

[grawk]

F-35 is supposed to replace the A-10 I had heard. Not sure how without the flight time or loiter capability.

or the sheer survivability

[Emooze]

How many are in service?

63 have been built but as far as I know, none are in combat wings. All training or test. That might include the international versions as well.

 

All public releasable info.

[CarlSeibert]

OK. I'm obviously a few steps behind here. Why is the a-10 being replaced? I thought it was supposed to work great.

[Emooze]

I does work great. The problem is production has stopped and any low-altitude CAS air frame gets chewed up and I'm sure the big wigs did some cost-benefit analysis on continuing to repair them.

 

But the formula worked. Make a supersonic cannon bigger than a car, strap it to some wings, and put a bad ass dude in it. I say we just do that again.

[guzziguy]

Just have General Electric make a GAU-8/A pod for the F35.

[Augsburger]

Better yet, build a Kevlar wrapped twin engine drone with the GAU-8/A pod and lots of rockets.

[Grahame]

Don't give Skynet ideas