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The A-10 is extremely vulnerable to man-portable air defense systems (MANPADs), which are difficult to spot and nearly impossible to avoid at the low altitudes
by ahelwer 13y ago
The A-10 is extremely vulnerable to man-portable air defense systems (MANPADs), which are difficult to spot and nearly impossible to avoid at the low altitudes within which the A-10 best performs. MANPADs are more and more common on the modern battlefield, and the supply exploded after the 2011 Libyan Civil War. Furthermore, the GAU-8, while an impressive weapon, doesn't hold its own against any tank built within the last twenty years. This leaves the A-10 as a slow, unstealthy delivery platform for AGM-65 Maverick missiles and JDAMs, a role better performed by higher-performance aircraft.
I say all that as a huge fan of the A-10c, with many hours spent in the DCS sim. People seem to get bizarrely hyperbolic over the capabilities of this plane, but it's really a dinosaur.
- stcredzero 13y agoThe A-10 is extremely vulnerable to man-portable air defense systems (MANPADs), which are difficult to spot and nearly impossible to avoid at the low altitudes within which the A-10 best performs. How about building a ground support platform that can deal with this? Apparently, the Army has tried with helicopters with instrument pods above their rotors, so they can target enemies from behind cover. Perhaps the solution will be many small drones taking the place of one manned aircraft.
- Warhawg01 13y agoA-10s have a missile warning system that is tied directly to the flare dispenser.
- nether 13y agoThanks for this. I don't see why people think 30 mm slugs are effective against tanks designed to resist 120 mm penetrators or shaped charges, including top armor hits. And simply enduring battle damage is insane against modern MANPADS with large warheads. The A-10, along with the B-17, is one of the most over-romanticized aircraft of all time.
- ahelwer 13y agoYep, the A-10c can take a real beating, but there's a huge gap between combat readiness and limping back to base for expensive repairs, assuming you survive the initial SAM strike. Much better to never be hit (or even seen!) in the first place.
- Nrsolis 13y agoUh huh. You're saying this based on how many deployments?
- Nrsolis 13y agoJeez. Tanks? You're neglecting one of the most valuable roles for the A-10: close air support for ground troops in contact. In that situation (read: the entirety of our conflict in Afghanistan/Iraq) tanks had NO ROLE. You're fighting a highly mobile ground force that often have an armament/position advantage and that's where the A-10 CAS really really makes a difference. Nobody fought TANKS in Afghanistan. Ask anyone who's been in contact with the enemy how they feel when they hear that distinctive "BRRRRRRRAAAAAP!" It's like FSCKING CHRISTMAS.
- LanceH 13y agoThis, right here. Doing close air support you want A-10 pilots or Marines.
- leviathant 13y agoI think this needs illustration: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xuYmn_xYB78 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xuYmn_xYB78 My father worked on A-10s in the Air Guard, I thought was very familiar with them... but it wasn't really until I saw that video that I realized how terrifying they are in the appropriate situation. While the above video is a friendly-fire close call, you're probably not going to find video like that from the other side of the line.
- Nrsolis 13y ago
- nathanvanfleet 13y agoI'll keep track of all this for the next time I play Civilizations.
- Warhawg01 13y agoWhen was the last time an A-10 was shot down by a MANPAD? And what is your proof that it is ineffective against modern tanks? I ask as an actual A-10C pilot, with many more hours flying it than you have in a "sim".
- hudibras 13y agoWhen was the last time an A-10 was shot down in air-to-air combat? Never? They must be unstoppable! But, seriously, there's that old saying: the only way to bring down an A-10 is to put a suicidal pilot in the cockpit.
- ufmace 13y agoDo you know anything about changes in tactics related to MANPAD threats, then? I read some about the Soviet war in Afghanistan, where we supplied MANPADs to the rebels for use against Soviet helicopters. Reportedly, they didn't actually shoot down very many helicopters, but they were very effective in that the threat of them forced the helicopters to engage from much further away from the battle and move at higher speeds to limit their vulnerability, but also limiting their effectiveness. I wonder if there has been an affect like that on the A10s. And I wonder if anybody who knows is actually allowed to tell us.