News Categories

Next:COUNTER-TERRORISM: The Ugly Truth About ISIL

Leadership: The A-10 Called Out For A Showdown

Archives

September 23, 2015:   The American F-35 and A-10 aircraft are being prepared for a “fly-off” competition to determine which is better at close-air support. This could determine the future of the venerable A-10, which has fought off efforts to withdraw the plane from service. The A-10 abides thanks to friends on Capitol Hill and a very impressive combat record.

 The “fly-off,” announced in August and slated to take place in 2018 is the latest hurdle for the F-35, which is intended to not only replace the A-10, but the F-16, AV-8B, and F/A-18C in the Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps inventories. One of the biggest questions surrounding the F-35 has been its ability to carry out the close-air support mission. The showdown will not take place until 2018 because the ground support capabilities of the F-35 are not yet in service.

 Supporters of the A-10 point to the plane’s track record from Desert Storm (1991), the Balkans (1999), and the War on Terror (2001-2015). During Desert Storm the A-10 flew 8,100 sorties, destroyed 900 tanks, and 1,200 artillery pieces. A-10 pilots shot down two Iraqi helicopters as well. Later in the 1990s, A-10s also flew over the Balkans during the NATO interventions. In the War on Terror, the A-10 was again there for the ground troops.

 During the War on Terror, the A-10s flew a number of close-air support missions, and one famously was brought back after being shot up during the initial stages of Operation Iraqi Freedom (2003). However, F-16s began to also pick up the burden of close-air support missions, using bombs guided by either laser spot tracking or GPS. The F-35 is intended to deliver precision-guided weapons from higher altitudes than the A-10 flies at. However, there have been some friendly-fire incidents involving those high-altitude drops.

 The A-10 has the GAU-8 30-millimeter cannon with 1,350 rounds that fires 4200 rounds per minute, and can carry eight tons of bombs. The F-35 has the 25-millimeter GAU-22 cannon that holds 180 rounds and which fires 3300 rounds a minute. The F-35 can carry nine tons of weapons. – Harold C. Hutchison

 

 

X

ad

Help Keep Us From Drying Up

We need your help! Our subscription base has slowly been dwindling.

Each month we count on your contributions. You can support us in the following ways:

  1. Make sure you spread the word about us. Two ways to do that are to like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.
  2. Subscribe to our daily newsletter. We’ll send the news to your email box, and you don’t have to come to the site unless you want to read columns or see photos.
  3. You can contribute to the health of StrategyPage.
Subscribe   Contribute   Close