MITRE: Air Force Needs New Aircraft, Basing Ideas to Win in Pacific

[rangerrebew]

MITRE: Air Force Needs New Aircraft, Basing Ideas to Win in Pacific
8/8/2019

—Rachel S. Cohen


A prominent Pentagon-funded research organization argues that the Air Force needs to rethink its procurement plans and spread its forces across more bases by 2030 to be a formidable opponent in the Pacific.

An unclassified summary of MITRE Corp.’s sweeping inventory study, which Air Force Magazine obtained Aug. 7, calls for buying additional long-range aircraft and “large magazines of long-range standoff weapons,” expanding four bases in the Pacific region to host up to 24 bombers and 18 tankers, and making at least 80 percent of all aircraft mission-capable.

The report also says the Air Force should retire the A-10 and F-16 as the service brings on new F-35s, and arm Boeing’s new training jet as an international “light fighter” platform.

http://www.airforcemag.com/Features/Pages/2019/August%202019/MITRE-Air-Force-Needs-New-Aircraft-Basing-Ideas-to-Win-in-Pacific.aspx

[PeteS in CA]

Some A-10s are probably 40 years old (and some may be older ... IIRC, the A-10 came into use in the mid-70s), but what does the USAF have that's as versatile and flexible and has similar loiter and durability? That's assuming the USAF takes the Close Air Support mission seriously, which I kind of doubt.

[Bill Cipher]

Nothing the air force currently has can replace the A-10.  For that sort of mission, you really need something that can take severe abuse and keep flying well enough to bring the pilot home.  None of the new aircraft could take even a tenth of the punishment the A-10 can take and still remain in the air.