Goodbye A10, hello JSF

[WarSong]

That 30mm cannon is HUGE. When I was in tech school, the crew chief hangars were next door to the weapons loaders hangars and I walked over there to see all the big guns they got to play with.

 

[arnegrim]

Here's an aerial picture of Davis-Monthan AFB.

http://terraserver.microsoft.com/image.aspx?t=4&s=12&x=645&y=4446&z=12&w=2

Clicking on the picture will zoom it in... (there's a resolution 'gauge' on the left side)

 

[Nietzsche]

How can this thing replace the A-10? where its volcan cannon? wheres its long extended wings allowing for a HUGE payload as well as ablity to turn on a dime. Wheres its titanium bath tub?

I spit on that plane! i love my beloved A-10 and it will be in the air force for another 25 years!

(im taking rotc in college to hopefully be ether an a-10 pilot or b-52 odd huh?)

 

[WarSong]

I spit on that plane! i love my beloved A-10 and it will be in the air force for another 25 years!

 

[ACougar]

I still have the feeling that what makes the JSF better than the A10 for the Airforce has nothing to do with the needs of the Army. I can't imagine the JSF being as manuverable and deadly as the A10.

 

[Horrorgram]

The JSF will never be able to fulfill its tankbusting role with current munitions as effective as the A10 will. Ever. For that matter.
So please. Kick the F1X series out and replace with the JSF and F/A-22, but for the love of god, PLEASE keep those A10's in there. They absolutely excel at what they do and there is no reason to scrap them.

Firepower?
Talk to me when 30mm APDU rounds bounce off tanks.
Speed?
Tanks aren't Ferraris, and as such are not hard to hit nor to keep up with.
Survivability?
This thing is the most rugged plane to be built since the IL-2 Shturmovik. Don't knock it.

So keep it. Your B52's will stay in service for I don't know how long, no reason to not extend Warthog service life. Plus, I'd feel a whole lot better if an A10 was loitering above my head than a JSF. Not to knock the aircrafts capacities, but it is dependant on missiles and bombs to take out tanks. Those don't come in as plentiful quantity as 30mm APDU rounds.

 

[billc]

I have always thought instead of retiring the A10.They should tranfer them to the marines.It always looked like a plane a marine should fly.It is a good ground support aircraft like the AH-1 Cobra.TWO ENGINES ARE ALWAYS BETTER THAN.

 

[WarSong]

I have always thought instead of retiring the A10.They should tranfer them to the marines.It always looked like a plane a marine should fly.It is a good ground support aircraft like the AH-1 Cobra.TWO ENGINES ARE ALWAYS BETTER THAN.

The Air Force was going to retire the A-10 before the first Gulf War. Then when it came time to do the dirty duty, the A-10 once again proved it's worth.

The Army has never made it secret that if the Air Force retires it's A-10s, the Army would snatch them up in a heartbeat.

 

[MadeInOz]

I think as far as the A10 goes, it is one of the most distinctive aircraft out there, and I would be sad to see it go... but...