"Sequestration" Ends the A-10 Thunderbolt

[MacGyver]

As someone who grew up in the 70's and 80's, I look on the mothballing of the A-10 as a real loss to our military - for the Air Force pilots who loved to fly it, and the Army grunts who love the sound of its 30mm close air support.

 

Linking this article just for the picture of the avenger cannon that the place is built around:

http://kotaku.com/a-sad-farewell-to-the-coolest-fighter-jet-of-all-time-1374187357

 

And the source:

http://www.dodbuzz.com/2013/09/18/air-force-mourns-likely-passing-of-a-10-warthog/?comp=700001076338&rank=6

 

 

[Guest 6.8 AR]

From what I recall, that was one workhorse. And a huge bang for the buck. If they can keep the B-52 going as long

as it already has, I think the Wartog could be kept. It still has a lot of service life left.

[173rdABN]

I can't tell you how many times I've had an A10 over head lighting up a position giving us a major advantage let alone a hard on. I'll find some pictures on my computer later when I get on it that'll all make you hate the government for mothballing the A10

[Guest 6.8 AR]

I remember driving out Dover Road, years ago, and seeing those Warthogs doing their ballet in the sky. It was beautiful

to watch. In a high tech world, all that low tech power still has a use, I think. and, from what I understand, that main gun

is devastating, still.

[DaveS]

That saddens me. The A10 has gotten as many GI's out of trouble in the Middle East as the F4 did in Vietpuke. It will be missed!

 

DaveS

Edited September 24, 2013 by DaveS

[Mark@Sea]

I've heard the air force has been wanting to mothball them for about 10 years now.  Good planes - flying tanks.

[Garufa]

Awesome planes and I do believe the mothballing has been years in the works.

[MacGyver]

Yeah, our modern military hates any system that is a "single mission" system.  One could argue that the Warthog is really only good at punching big holes in things.

 

Of course, sometimes, you just need a simple tool that can break stuff well enough that it can't be fixed.  The A-10 has always excelled at that job.

[Sam1]

Man those are some awesome planes

[KOM2]

Hate that! I guess every good thing must come to an end!

[wjh2657]

The Air Force has considered the Warthog as a  " Red-headed stepchild" for decades now. Pilots that flew them were considered dead end as far as careers were considered. It was a good plane, but the Air Force never really did want it. The Air Force has always considered ground air support as a "dirty, nowhere " mission.  Interception and dogfighting ( Both vital needed)  is their preference. The truth is that the airplane should have given to the Army to begin with but the Air Force couldn't stand the possibility that Army Air Corps pilots, possibly even Warrant Officers (horrors!) would be flying jets.

 

The budget cuts are not the reason the A-10 is being retired without a replacement. The Air Force doesn't want the plane nor the mission. They have been trying to get rid of the plane for over 10 years now. The budget cuts just gave them  opportunity.

[mikegideon]

It's a workhorse, but this is my favorite part...

 

[Guest ThePunisher]

They caused the Iragi soldiers to quickly bring out the white flags in the Gulf War of '91. They really destroyed a lot of Iragi tanks with those 30mm cannon guns. They were designed to be cheap anti-tank weapons against the Soviets in Europe, and then we won the cold war. Edited September 25, 2013 by ThePunisher

[Hkinator]

My dad was stationed at Davis Monthan AFB when i was younger and worked with that aircraft all the time. It is an awsome sigjt to see them in the air.

[DMark]

Here is one of the big reasons that the USAF went out and got the A-10 in the first place.

 

Lockheed AH-56 Cheyenne Attack Helicopter.  :cool:

 

 

They couldn't stand the idea that the Army would have an Attack Aircraft that could do the CAS mission that it (USAF) hated to do.  With a 275 cruise speed, the test program used a P-51 Mustang as the chase plane.  I love my Apache...., but I would have given my left nut to have flown the Cheyenne!  The High-Hot performance of the AH-56 would have been welcomed decades later in Afghanistan.  Even using its 1960s technology, it still would have been able to carry more ordnance with a longer station time than todays's AH-64D Apache Longbows. 

 

Here is also a little known and forgotten fact. 

 

The A-10s were slated to be retired in 1990-92.  This was after the USAF offered them to the Army which turned down since the USAF only wanted to give them the airframes and not the people, parts, and budget to fly and fix them.

 

Then Desert Storm came around and the HOG (along with my Apaches) proved their worth.  :bat:

[thescoutranch]

Actually, just this past year, the Air Force was actively extending the A10's service life out to 2020 - 2025.

[R1100R]

Here is one of the big reasons that the USAF went out and got the A-10 in the first place.

 

Lockheed AH-56 Cheyenne Attack Helicopter.  :cool:

 

 

They couldn't stand the idea that the Army would have an Attack Aircraft that could do the CAS mission that it (USAF) hated to do.  With a 275 cruise speed, the test program used a P-51 Mustang as the chase plane.  I love my Apache...., but I would have given my left nut to have flown the Cheyenne!  The High-Hot performance of the AH-56 would have been welcomed decades later in Afghanistan.  Even using its 1960s technology, it still would have been able to carry more ordnance with a longer station time than todays's AH-64D Apache Longbows. 

 

Here is also a little known and forgotten fact. 

 

The A-10s were slated to be retired in 1990-92.  This was after the USAF offered them to the Army which turned down since the USAF only wanted to give them the airframes and not the people, parts, and budget to fly and fix them.

 

Then Desert Storm came around and the HOG (along with my Apaches) proved their worth.  :bat:

 

 

I remember seeing one at Ft. Rucker while attending a course in the 70's. We were still flying Slicks for "Dustoff".  That was one bad ass Helo. I remember my PIC stating he was on the ground floor of testing them. I always thought even back then the Army would get the A-10. After the Navy gave us that pilot killer the "Mohawk" we deserve a good plane.

[vontar]

As I recall, it was retired once or twice before.  However it was more more suited to desert warfare and brought back by need.

 

 

BTW, story goes someone was looking at this gun and said built me an airplane around that.  and it was done.

It's a workhorse, but this is my favorite part...

 

Edited September 25, 2013 by vontar

[vontar]

Also go look at some of the Battle Damage these things have been able to fly back to base with. 

 

This thing is as close to a flying tank as has ever been made.

[QuietDan]

Mothballing isn't necessarily the end of the road. It stops the clock and minimizes the cost of airframe support. Aircraft go into mothballs, and can come back out again. The same with ships. There will be a time and a place.

[Will H]

They have tried over and over to get rid of the Warthog.  It comes down to the question of do you want to spend a few thousand in 30mm rounds or a half a million dollars in missile to destroy something...  That has stopped them from getting rid of it before, and I think it likely will now.  Even if it does not I am sure we have not seen the last of the Warthog.  She's just to damn good at her job.  She'll be back.

[peejman]

As others have said... just like the SR-71, the A-10 will be mothballed until they need it again. 

[broylz]

after driving over their damage to just the road in Kuwait - all the armor had been pushed off in the fields - I can imagine these are a thing of beauty to see dancing through the miles of Iraqi artillery on their retreat...

 

saw a few of them playing around on a range in Fort Leonardwood nearby where we were training a few days. they would fly over us on their way off target.

[Guest ThePunisher]

Read today that the F-16 has come out of mothballs to become pilotless drones to help in training pilots in aerial dogfights where before they used to have the F-4 Phantoms of Vietnam era. Hope we can still keep the Warthog as they seem to be more than enough efficient in the Middle East deserts killing ragheads.

[broylz]

makes sense to use the f16s as drones to kill if we are giving them to the brotherhood in Egypt to use against us in the near future...