Why the A-10 Warthog Retirement Is a Disaster

[rangerrebew]

March 3, 2024   

Why the A-10 Warthog Retirement Is a Disaster

The fight to save the A-10 has never been about the airplane. It has always been about saving the capability and the institutional knowledge of the attack pilot community.

by Dan Grazier

The Air Force brass has finally achieved one of their highest ambitions: They have successfully begun to weasel their way out of a mission they have traditionally considered a distraction, namely, providing ground troops with effective close air support.
 

Recently, the Air Force has transferred two A-10 “Warthogs” out of service and over to the boneyard at Arizona’s Davis-Monthan Air Force Base. They are among the first 42 A-10s to be retired this year, with the remaining 260 aircraft slated to follow over the next few years.


U.S. ground forces depend on U.S. pilots to supply accurate and sustained fires so they can gain a battlefield advantage. Just as importantly, the ground forces frequently depend on those accurate and sustained fires when they’re under enemy attack and need to be rescued.

For troops on the ground, effective close air support can literally mean the difference between life and death.

https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/why-10-warthog-retirement-disaster-209827

[rangerrebew]

Of course, it's a disaster.  That's why the anti-American leadership in the military and in the District of Corruption have green lighted it.

[Cyber Liberty]

The ground based soldiers love the A-10, so of course the military wants to get rid of it.  Ground troops' wants and needs come last.

[PeteS in CA]

CAS is a dangerous job. It's the nature of the Beast. Whether A-10s or Su-25s, it's dangerous. "Replacing" A-10s with F-16s or F-18s or F-35s will all but certainly result in less effective support.

[Cyber Liberty]

CAS is a dangerous job. It's the nature of the Beast. Whether A-10s or Su-25s, it's dangerous. "Replacing" A-10s with F-16s or F-18s or F-35s will all but certainly result in less effective support.

And higher flight casualties, not to mention airplane carcasses.  Nothing beats the heavy armor of an A-10.

[sneakypete]

The ground based soldiers love the A-10, so of course the military wants to get rid of it.  Ground troops' wants and needs come last.

@Cyber Liberty
 
I can tell you from my 6+ years of experience as a ground soldier,that NOBODY in ANY of the uniformed services gives a squad about infantry soldiers,BUT the ground support USAF,USN,and USA units.

It was,of course,a two way street. If one of them got shot down,we were the only guys going to come to their aid. They,of course,had the pararescue guys from the USN and the USAF ready to come in and pull them out,but that ONLY worked if they managed to escape and evade the enemy after getting shot down. No matter HOW good you are,2 guys rappelling down a rope are no match for an enemy infantry platoon.

EVERY pilot/aircrewman,be it USA helicopter pilots,USN fighter-bomber pilots,or USAF Pilots knew they had standing passes to visit our clubs any time they wanted,and that it would cost them nothing to eat and drink to their fill,because make no mistake about it,there are damn few of us that would have lived long enough to have completed a tour without them.

[sneakypete]

CAS is a dangerous job. It's the nature of the Beast. Whether A-10s or Su-25s, it's dangerous. "Replacing" A-10s with F-16s or F-18s or F-35s will all but certainly result in less effective support.

@PeteS in CA

Tru dat!

The zoomie guys are as good as anybody,but they just can't fly low enough and slow enough  to provide ground support accurately.

Plus,they just aren't equipped to provide close ground support.

BTW,I forgot to mention large USAF aircraft like the C-130 that are dressed out as "Spooky gun ships/Puff the Magic Dragon",with gattling guns out each door and a freaking cannon that rolls down the rear ramp.

You ain't seen the "DAMN DAMN" until you have seen what one of these boogers do to the scenery on a gun run. You can literally FEEL the ground around you vibrabe from the bullet strikes. And,most likely,the "foot strikes" as the  NVA hear their mama's calling,and start running away. And I don't blame them at all. About the only thing I can think of that would be scarier would be a nuke.