All
← Back to Squawk list
A-10 vs. F-35: Air Force warplanes to face off
(CNN)Can an old war horse that dates back more than 40 years hold its own against the newest warbird loaded with the latest in technology and weaponry? The Pentagon said it aims to find out and will pit the venerable A-10 Warthog against the F-35 Lightning Joint Strike Fighter in a series of rigorous tests replicating what the planes would face in battle. (www.cnn.com) More...Sort type: [Top] [Newest]
Retire the A-10 AFTER you retire the c-130 and the B-52. Some planes just exceed their expectations and deserve their place in the lineup. The A-10 has proven itself time and time again. Why use a multi-tool when a simple sledgehammer will do the trick (with confidence).
Ya really want to risk a $135 million aircraft to ground fire?... stupid Apple's to oranges comparison
Particularly when it won't be able to shoot back until 2020 and then only with 20 mm gun good for only one or two short bursts.
Completely rigged. They're going to delay the face off as long as possible, two years minimum if not more, continue spending money hand-over-fist on the F35 ("we can't get rid of it now! we've spent so much on it!") and declare it the winner no matter how poorly it performs.
USAF has never liked the A10 and tried to kill it decades ago with the A16, a ground attack version of the can't-go-slow, can't-go-low, single-engine, no-ability-to-sustain-damage-and-fly-home F16.
They should give the A10 to the Army. Just like helos can't fight effectively against jet fighters, not every aircraft has to be an air superiority aircraft (sorry USAF!). The AWACS, F15s and F22s handle the air superiority, the A10 pounds the enemy's ground positions.
Q: Why does the Army fly rotorwing aircraft rather than the AF? Same reason they should be given the A10. The Air Force has never given a serious flip about Close Air Support. It's not their butts on the line, not even their service. They're not really impacted by their failure to do it; it's the grunts that pay for the silk scarf mentality with their lives.
USAF has never liked the A10 and tried to kill it decades ago with the A16, a ground attack version of the can't-go-slow, can't-go-low, single-engine, no-ability-to-sustain-damage-and-fly-home F16.
They should give the A10 to the Army. Just like helos can't fight effectively against jet fighters, not every aircraft has to be an air superiority aircraft (sorry USAF!). The AWACS, F15s and F22s handle the air superiority, the A10 pounds the enemy's ground positions.
Q: Why does the Army fly rotorwing aircraft rather than the AF? Same reason they should be given the A10. The Air Force has never given a serious flip about Close Air Support. It's not their butts on the line, not even their service. They're not really impacted by their failure to do it; it's the grunts that pay for the silk scarf mentality with their lives.
The A-10 was designed and built for CAS missions, the F-35 for other activities. Secondly, the cost per unit is enormous, the F-35 costing 5 to 7 times more (you will never know with so many hidden/misleading figures coming off Lockheed, last quoted price was $ 130 mill) and there is the cost per hour and then again the Lockheed PR types will tell you only half the story whereas the similar cost of the A-10 is several orders of mafnitud LESS.
Signed,
The AF Decision Makers"
This poor horse has been beaten to death! The AF just had to replace the P-47 with the P-51 for close (effective) ground support during WWII. Yes, the P-51 worked but it couldn't return home from a mission with one or two jugs shot off. And take one in gizzard (cooling system) and that's all she wrote. Just ask Hub Zemke. If it ain't broke, don't fix it!