With all I've been reading in the newspaper, I have yet to hear one mention of the A-10 Warthog. This plane is extremely manuverable, highly survivable with tripple redundant systems all thru the plane, and packs a major punch with its nose cannon which the plane was built around. It would seem perfect for the small arms fighting going on right now. Anyone know why it hasn't been deployed? Has it been taken out of service? Does it belong to a service which is not in theater? I wanna see some pics of a Warthog splattering AlQeda punks all over the mountain side, that plane is cool.
Fighting in Afghanistan/Warthog
by Adam 15 Replies latest jw friends
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borgfree
Adam,
I heard a day or two ago that they were sending in some A-10s.
Borgfree
"Kindness in words creates confidence. Kindness in thinking creates profoundness. Kindness in giving creates love." Lao-tzu
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SixofNine
This has been troubling me for some time as well. I couldn't sleep thinking about it last night.
I was also troubled by a newspaper article favoring Sissy Spacek to win Best Actress for "In the Bedroom" over Halle Berry for "Monsters Ball".
I think you would really like Monsters Ball. We can be friends if you don't like In the Bedroom (it was a fine movie, but even I admit it was slooooooooow, and hey, you grew up on mtv), but if you don't like Monsters Ball, and specifically Halle Berry, you're gay. And I mean that in the meanest, most childish, bigoted, insulting way.
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SixofNine
The US sent reinforcements into the battle yesterday, including 200 soldiers, up to 12 army Apache and five marine Cobra helicopter gunships, together with air force A-10 "Warthog" attack planes, after suffering its worst day of combat in almost a decade, losing seven soldiers in ambushes after helicopter landings on Monday.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/afghanistan/comment/story/0,11447,663214,00.html
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blindfool
I'm not an expert, just like watching "Wings" on cable, but my understanding is that the A-10 is designed as a "tank-buster."
It may be more useful against heavier arms fire.The Apache helicopter is much more manuverable and can travel at slower speeds and has the some of the same type systems used in the A-10. The Apache is also operated by the Army and is used for close support for ground forces. The A-10 is operated by the Air Force. I don't really know how that affects operations, but I would imagine the Army uses their own systems when posible.
I did happen to talk to a Army Major who flew Apaches several years ago. The Army and Air Force were doing joint training missions in Myrtle Beach, SC. The Major was proud of his men because he said they had been kicking the A-10's butts all week.
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Xander
The problem with the A-10 is its role is not clearly defined.
Is it close air support? But Apaches do that better - they can loiter longer and are under direct Army command.
Battlefield Interdiction? Well, it IS faster than Apaches, but not as fast as an F-16. And F-16s have fairly decent ground radar, A-10s have NO radar.
About the only role it fits REALLY well right now is Forward Air Controller. And there has been a lot of use for these guys in the current war (basically, they loiter at moderately high speed around a battlezone 'marking' targets for other guys).
I think it is as cool as the next person, but it doesn't have much use in the US arsenal anymore. I mean, sure, it can really take a beating. But most US tactics and technology is designed to prevent taking damage, not being able to sustain lots of it. That's kind of more how the old Soviet armed forces were built.
A fanatic is one who, upon losing sight of his goals, redoubles his efforts.
--George Santayana -
mustang
High speed is meaningless for this type of activity, which is what the A-class (Assault) planes are for. In fact, high speed precludes effective strafing of ground targets. Tight maneuvering is needed for that operation. I've seen an A-10 do a roll so close to the ground that the F-16 pilot would think he was still in take-off rotation.
The A-10 is meant to be a tank-buster and was built around the Gatling-type gun it carries. Cave-buster might be next.
Yes, the gunship helicopters can hover and doing some serious
'loitering'. But their armor is not as heavy as the A-10. Thus, I noticed about 2 days ago on the news that the A-10 was being deployed against the Al Qaeda holed up in east Afghanistan. The helicopters were talking too much punishment.Inter-service deployment doesn't present too much problem. Inter-operability of people and equipment has been worked on just for such purposes.
There are a variety of jobs to do and a commensurate variety of aircraft. As my Air Force Flight Instructor used to say, 'match the plane to the mission'.
As the mission evolves, the next candidate will step up to the plate.
Mustang
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freeman
The A-10 is indeed a tank killer, the front mounted canon fires several super-hard “depleted uranium” tipped non-explosive rounds opening a hole in the target tank. Then the next round, an explosive “anti-personnel” round fly’s through the middle of the open hole and explodes on the inside of the tank, turning everyone inside into ground beef. The A-10 is a cool plane; I have seen them up close, my then 8-year-old son had the helmet on and even sat in the cockpit. In my opinion, the A-10 would not be the best choice for use in Afghanistan as I don’t think they have too many tanks left do they? Then again they could pay a visit to Sadam as long as their in the neighborhood anyway, I think he still has a few tanks :-)
Freeman
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TR
I hold it to be the inalienable right of anybody to go to hell in his own way.
--Robert Frost, 1935