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Jeez. 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 enti

by Nrsolis 13y ago

Jeez. 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 ago
This, right here. Doing close air support you want A-10 pilots or Marines.
leviathant 13y ago
I 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
  Thanks for posting that video. Very informative!
- ericd 13y ago
  Wow, it sounds just like a dragon's roar there. It must have a hell of an effect on morale...
bdunbar 13y ago
When the Air Force first wanted to retire the A-10, there was an article [1] proposal: Give the A-10s to the Marine Corps. Even if the machine could not be retrofitted for carrier operations, the Corps could fly them from airfields ashore, and would really value an excellent ground-attack aircraft, and would take good extra-special care of them. [1] in the Marine Corps Gazette I think.
digitalengineer 13y ago
What about the depleted uranium bullits the A-10 uses? I read they are are threat to friendly ground forces when they cross the fields the A-10 fired up on? Targets hit by the A-10 basically become biohazard... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Depleted_uranium http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Depleted_uranium
- Nrsolis 13y ago
  Ask a soldier or Marine if they'd make that trade. Dead now or dead much much later?
- tim333 13y ago
  The A-10 can fire lead ammo as well. The uranium stuff is only needed for tank armour.
tim333 13y ago
Yeah, apparently the problem with using high speed jets if they can't hang out close to look out the window and figure which people are the bad guys. Helicopters are too lightly armoured and get shot down and current drones are a bit lightly armed to hold off loads of enemy troops. Maybe in the future when the drones are more like http://youtu.be/zjympX1bxI4?t=18s http://youtu.be/zjympX1bxI4?t=18s retiring the A10 would make sense
- Nrsolis 13y ago
  The problem isn't the drone airframe. It's taking the person OUT of the airframe. Having that pilot in that seat removes the need to replicate the kind of situational awareness you have when you're flying your plane 100-1000 feet off the ground and making passes to identify who is who so you avoid a friendly fire incident. Until we have the kind of immersive, low-latency, realtime kind of virtual reality you'd need, using drones for CAS is a pipe-dream.

by Nrsolis 13y ago

LanceH 13y ago

This, right here. Doing close air support you want A-10 pilots or Marines.

leviathant 13y ago

I 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
Thanks for posting that video. Very informative!
ericd 13y ago
Wow, it sounds just like a dragon's roar there. It must have a hell of an effect on morale...

bdunbar 13y ago

When the Air Force first wanted to retire the A-10, there was an article [1] proposal: Give the A-10s to the Marine Corps. Even if the machine could not be retrofitted for carrier operations, the Corps could fly them from airfields ashore, and would really value an excellent ground-attack aircraft, and would take good extra-special care of them. [1] in the Marine Corps Gazette I think.

digitalengineer 13y ago

What about the depleted uranium bullits the A-10 uses? I read they are are threat to friendly ground forces when they cross the fields the A-10 fired up on? Targets hit by the A-10 basically become biohazard... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Depleted_uranium http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Depleted_uranium

Nrsolis 13y ago
Ask a soldier or Marine if they'd make that trade. Dead now or dead much much later?
tim333 13y ago
The A-10 can fire lead ammo as well. The uranium stuff is only needed for tank armour.

tim333 13y ago

Yeah, apparently the problem with using high speed jets if they can't hang out close to look out the window and figure which people are the bad guys. Helicopters are too lightly armoured and get shot down and current drones are a bit lightly armed to hold off loads of enemy troops. Maybe in the future when the drones are more like http://youtu.be/zjympX1bxI4?t=18s http://youtu.be/zjympX1bxI4?t=18s retiring the A10 would make sense

Nrsolis 13y ago
The problem isn't the drone airframe. It's taking the person OUT of the airframe. Having that pilot in that seat removes the need to replicate the kind of situational awareness you have when you're flying your plane 100-1000 feet off the ground and making passes to identify who is who so you avoid a friendly fire incident. Until we have the kind of immersive, low-latency, realtime kind of virtual reality you'd need, using drones for CAS is a pipe-dream.