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Defense chief: A-10s needed to bomb ISIS
Defense Secretary Ash Carter has made it official: ISIS has saved one of its deadliest enemies, the U.S. Air Force's A-10 Thunderbolt. The inelegant but well-armed and well-armored ground-attack jet, nicknamed the "Warthog," was facing quick retirement after the Air Force said it needed the money and crews being used to keep the A-10s flying for the brand-new F-35s and other missions. Then came Operation Inherent Resolve, the U.S.-led coalition's campaign against the Islamic… (www.cnn.com) More...
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I think they should build a new fleet of these A10's. Bet the Marines would love to have them.
Better yet, keep and upgrade the ones we have in the dessert and cashier the duplicitous Air Force brass replacing them with ones that appreciate and will fight for the guys on the ground.
BRRRRRRT
Lets be frank, the F35 was not even designed to do the role the A-10 was built for, to think it even could replace her is insane, and that assumes the F35 ever meets the promises that at present look like a fantasy.
And a single non-armored Pratt & Whitney F135
This is not the whole truth but a word game. The fine print shows the Air Force brass are in fact beginning to retire the A-10 in 2017. We can expect two things to happen: Congress will catch on to the ruse because the Committee is loaded with folks that understand the need and secondly 2017 will bring a new Administration and a new Secretary who is likely to be more responsive to the grunts, someone like Allen West. This will lead to a lot of Air Force brass opting to spend more time with their families.
