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| Power is nothing without control |
The last news I was aware of was the inclusion of purchasing additional wing sets in the '18 and '19 proposed defense budgets. I'm not privy to how much life the rest of the airframes have left in them, but currently the wings are running out of useful life and they have been replacing them for a while now. According to this article there are about 280 A-10's left and the existing re-wing contract only covered about 170 of them. The '18 and '19 requests were to purchase new wings for even more, but it isn't clear exactly how many. It also claims the Air Force plans to keep at least some A-10's in service till 2030. The Air Force keeps poking along with their light attack aircraft program as well with the intention to do many of the jobs that the A-10 is doing at the moment. I think they are down to looking at the armed version of the T6 and the Super Tucano as the two finalists. I don't think either could handle the 30mm from the A-10, but the 2.75" rockets they can carry are nothing to sneeze at. Plus, I'd bet you could find a way to pod-mount the cannon off the Apache if you really wanted something with more thump than a .50 cal. - Bret | |||
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Political Cynic |
anyone have any videos of the F35 doing CAS? [B] Against ALL enemies, foreign and DOMESTIC | |||
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| Member |
The A-10's have been flying over our area for lots of years and in the summer we usually see them a couple of times a week. The A-10's are out of Whiteman and usually fly in pairs and buzz the Lake of the Ozarks and Stockton Lake that seems like maybe 500' above ground/lake level. One got a little too low and clipped power lines at Stockton Lake but no injuries and returned to base. https://www.lakeexpo.com/news/...12-2bfd26ee6ee5.html On January 19, U.S. Air Forces Central Command realigned aircraft, airmen and assets from Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri to Afghanistan. The 303rd Expeditionary Fighter Squadron is currently providing support to U.S. Forces and Afghan National Defense and Security Forces as a part of Operation Freedom’s Sentinel and the Resolute Support Mission. The legendary Warthogs are enabling precision strikes and close air support to teams on the ground as well as assisting with surveillance, intelligence and reconnaissance, and personal recovery. The Missouri airmen are part of strategic efforts to cut off Taliban financial resources by targeting their narcotics production. The A-10 pilots are working alongside newly realigned MQ-9 Reapers and HH-60Gs from other deployed areas in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility as well as the F-16s, C130Js, EC-130Hs and other aircraft that were already in place at Bagram Airfield. | |||
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McNoob |
https://freesound.org/people/nicStage/packs/15462/ I downloaded the wave file of the one I liked, used Audacity to convert it to mp3 and moved it into my notifications folder. Let me know if you want I can just send you the mp3 file. "We've done four already, but now we're steady..." | |||
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Character, above all else |
F-35s have not been deployed to theaters where CAS is currently being conducted. But then you knew that before you asked the question. "The Truth, when first uttered, is always considered heresy." | |||
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Rule #1: Use enough gun |
Back in the 80's my work took me through Alexandria, LA at least a couple of times per month. I usually saw A-10s coming out of England AFB on my trips. Always in pairs, always coming in low and slow just over the treetops. It was like watching cropdusters. You could tell the pilots were having fun. I've been hooked on them ever since. Sure was fun to see them perform so well in the first Iraq war. When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own house, his possessions are undisturbed. Luke 11:21 "Every nation in every region now has a decision to make. Either you are with us, or you are with the terrorists." -- George W. Bush | |||
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| half-genius, half-wit |
Let's just go fast backwards forty years, to the forward area in Europe, and the massed Red Army of the Group of Soviet Forces in Germany and their puppets. All of a sudden, the T-72 MBT, mainstay of the NVA, Poles, Hungarians and Czechs, sprouted a REARWARDS-facing HMG on the commander's cupola. Why? Because the recently arrived A-10s in 2ATAF were going to be coming from that direction. When the likely opposition has a massive refit, and changes the whole aspect of defence against FGA because a new aircraft appears, you know that you are on the right track. There never was anything like the A-10, whose concept was based on the tactics used to destroy the Wehrmacht in France and Low countries by its predecessor, the Thunderbolt. Even the Russkies tried to copy it, to some extent, building the Su25, one of which was shot down last week. Call me biased, but if that had been an !-10, I think the pilot would be at home right now watching TV and hoisting a beer. I built my very first model A-10 in 1978, in 1/48th scale, and still have it in my man-shed, hanging from the ceiling. What a plane! tac | |||
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Ammoholic |
If you don't mind sending it, that would be great! I tried to sign up for website, but it makes you verify your email and I don't generally sign up for things that require my real email address. Good news is whoever firsst@lasst.com is pre-registered. This is the one I'd like. Thank you! Jesse Sic Semper Tyrannis | |||
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| Member |
How do they feel about drones then? Must hate/loathe/despise them. | |||
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| McNoob |
Inbound "We've done four already, but now we're steady..." | |||
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| Ammoholic |
Got it, thanks! Jesse Sic Semper Tyrannis | |||
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Bolt Thrower |
Easy to say when they fly in no threat environments. They got pulled from the only competent threat in Desert Storm. While reading these threads I often wonder how everyone would feel about them if China/Russia slipped some anti air to our enemies. | |||
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Member |
I think you guys have some misconceptions about USAF pilots. No, drones aren't sexy but they kill lots of enemies and most of us value that over aircraft aesthetics. Most folks I know wouldn't mind a single tour flying MQ-9s but the USAF hasn't figured out how to give the assignment concurrent with a guaranteed follow on back to manned aircraft, thus making it undesirable. There are serious issues with USAF rated assignment structure. The USAF screwed up years ago not investing in A10 upgrades. Too much faith in F35 promises which have fallen short. But we can't simply "turn on" the A10 assembly line. Its gone forever. That's why the USAF keep trying to decommission A10s- they're breaking and fixing them is harder & more expensive each time. Hopefully we get funding for LAA and more AC130Js. The video is cool, but frankly a 30mm strafe isn't the option most GFCs/JTACs/pilots would recommend for that target.... AGM-114R4 on the roof is more common because its more likely to grant first pass lethality. | |||
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| Staring back from the abyss  |
________________________________________________________ "Great danger lies in the notion that we can reason with evil." Doug Patton. | |||
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| Bolt Thrower |
Watch the related F15 video, planes can fly back with crazy damage. The video you posted just proves that they make a nice slow target for anti air. | |||
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| Unapologetic Old School Curmudgeon  |
Is this covered by the Taliban AllState? Don't weep for the stupid, or you will be crying all day | |||
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| Ethics, antics, and ballistics  |
I can understand wanting to use a Hellfire missile for the reassurance of a big boom for certain targets, but you gotta admit, 10 to 12k worth of ammo given the two bursts provided is much more cost effective on a soft target then a 100k missile.  -Dtech __________________________ "I've got a life to live, people to love, and a God to serve!" - sigmonkey "Strive not to be a success, but rather to be of value." - Albert Einstein "A man can never have too much red wine, too many books, or too much ammunition" ― Rudyard Kipling | |||
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| Muzzle flash aficionado  |
I suspect that could be arranged.... flashguy Texan by choice, not accident of birth | |||
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Member |
GAU 8, the sound of freedom. | |||
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Member |
Maybe I missed it, but what asset can video the attack and then remain overhead to confirm destroyed target? Digital zoom, high resolution from some altitude. What would it be? ------- Trying to simplify my life... | |||
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