The USAF just retired 140 planes...

[Bud_Spencer]

...among them F-15s and A-10 Warthogs. Parked in the desert.

Anyone else think that those A-10s would be very attractive strafing that 40-mile convoy Russia has parked outside Kiev?

 

[Tigersman]

I've been thinking along the same lines. Hit the front, rear and then the middle of the convoy while Ukraine troops pick off the Russians like fish in a barrel. Strip the bodies of everything then stack the bodies in the destroyed trucks.

 

[phrodeau]

Then what? Try to land them on a field of glass?

 

[Champakian]

The A-10 fleet is pretty old.
Maintenance costs must be a bitch.
I don't think the Ukraine could keep them flying.

 

[Champakian]

I've been thinking along the same lines. Hit the front, rear and then the middle of the convoy while Ukraine troops pick off the Russians like fish in a barrel. Strip the bodies of everything then stack the bodies in the destroyed trucks.

So, you want war with Russia...

That's nice. Well thought out.
A fully developed strategy.
Have you run that by Joe?

 

[Bud_Spencer]

The A-10 fleet is pretty old.
Maintenance costs must be a bitch.
I don't think the Ukraine could keep them flying.

A few sorties would suffice, I think.

 

[Comshaw]

The A-10 fleet is pretty old.
Maintenance costs must be a bitch.
I don't think the Ukraine could keep them flying.

Agreed, but they are being (and should be) replaced with newer, updated A10 models. There is NO aircraft in the U.S. arsenal that can do what the A10 does as effective. Like the Ma Deuce, there is nothing that can replace it in kind. As far as giving them to the Ukrainians, it would take far too long to train their pilots how to use them. If they could, it would be very effective, as proven by the destruction wrought by the Warthog in the Iraq conflict and Afghanistan.

 

[hobbit.]

...among them F-15s and A-10 Warthogs. Parked in the desert.

Anyone else think that those A-10s would be very attractive strafing that 40-mile convoy Russia has parked outside Kiev?

im sure a decent accountant could shuffle a few numbers around on a ledger and some surplus nearer to some other geographic location could be found. a quick respray, file a few engine numbers off, false number plates (equivalant of) and away it goes. desnt get round the spares and ground crew issues, but the fight is, like battle of britain, over home ground for the ukrainians. mightbe hard disguising an A10 as a box of machine parts, but hey ho...

 

[Bud_Spencer]

im sure a decent accountant could shuffle a few numbers around on a ledger and some surplus nearer to some other geographic location could be found. a quick respray, file a few engine numbers off, false number plates (equivalant of) and away it goes. desnt get round the spares and ground crew issues, but the fight is, like battle of britain, over home ground for the ukrainians. mightbe hard disguising an A10 as a box of machine parts, but hey ho...

Gee, Vlad, I don't know what to tell you. I'm as surprised that those A-10s obliterated your convoy as you are. We parked them in the Mojave eons ago,and the next thing I know, they're strafing your boys. I'm gonna get to the bottom of this, trust me. <hangs up>

Betty? Memo to Eric Prince, Blackwater. Nice work "stealing" those Warthogs for our pals in Ukraine.

I mean, it worked for Queen Elizabeth and the Spanish Main, no?

 

[GothTalk]

100%...fixed wing dedicated close air support is a worthwhile asset to any major military operations.

A-10's are arguably the most all around capable of our air to ground platforms.

The AC-130 packs even more firepower and loiter time as a simple matter of it's size, but is also more vulnerable due to it too. Rotary? Very handy also even more vulnerable from anti-air threats.

Here is the big key to all that.

Only after air superiority is established can these kinds of assets be truly utilized for maximum effect.

Yes, the hogs would rip the Russian ground forces a new ass, but without growlers and wild weasels hitting sams and running electronics countermeasures and F-22's keeping those super maneuverable Su-27/30's at bay the A-10's would be trashed pretty quickly.

 

[Comshaw]

100%...fixed wing dedicated close air support is a worthwhile asset to any major military operations.

A-10's are arguably the most all around capable of our air to ground platforms.

The AC-130 packs even more firepower and loiter time as a simple matter of it's size, but is also more vulnerable due to it too. Rotary? Very handy also even more vulnerable from anti-air threats.

Here is the big key to all that.

Only after air superiority is established can these kinds of assets be truly utilized for maximum effect.

Yes, the hogs would rip the Russian ground forces a new ass, but without growlers and wild weasels hitting sams and running electronics countermeasures and F-22's keeping those super maneuverable Su-27/30's at bay the A-10's would be trashed pretty quickly.

Not so. Everyone seems to assume the A10 would be a sitting duck for fighter aircraft. The below article explains why that ain't so. Here's a snippet from it:

"As powerful as the GAU-8 is, the Warthog has other tools to help it win a fight with an opposing jet. In case of a dogfight, the A-10 also carries a pair of AIM-9M sidewinder missiles. AIM-9s are infrared-guided weapons with a range of 22 miles, giving the Warthog the punch it needs to engage an enemy fighter at a distance.
The combination of the A-10’s tight turn radius and AIM-9s makes for a frightening one-two punch for aggressive enemy fighters. If an enemy jet finds itself in close quarters with an A-10, its left to choose between two difficult options: You can try to out-turn the A-10 and fire your weapons before it can, or you can turn tail and run from the BRRRT. The problem is, if you turn and run, you’re flying right into the heat-seeking Sidewinder’s trap."

https://www.sandboxx.us/blog/believe-it-or-not-the-a-10-can-hold-its-own-in-a-dogfight/

Comshaw

 

[GothTalk]

Not so. Everyone seems to assume the A10 would be a sitting duck for fighter aircraft. The below article explains why that ain't so. Here's a snippet from it:

"As powerful as the GAU-8 is, the Warthog has other tools to help it win a fight with an opposing jet. In case of a dogfight, the A-10 also carries a pair of AIM-9M sidewinder missiles. AIM-9s are infrared-guided weapons with a range of 22 miles, giving the Warthog the punch it needs to engage an enemy fighter at a distance.
The combination of the A-10’s tight turn radius and AIM-9s makes for a frightening one-two punch for aggressive enemy fighters. If an enemy jet finds itself in close quarters with an A-10, its left to choose between two difficult options: You can try to out-turn the A-10 and fire your weapons before it can, or you can turn tail and run from the BRRRT. The problem is, if you turn and run, you’re flying right into the heat-seeking Sidewinder’s trap."

https://www.sandboxx.us/blog/believe-it-or-not-the-a-10-can-hold-its-own-in-a-dogfight/

Comshaw

Well I never said it was totally defenseless.

I did say it was the most capable, which I suppose is vague but I fully acknowledge that it can hold it's own against 4th gen fighters of it's own era and is by far one of the better all around fighting aircraft of all the dedicated close air support craft. Every grunt I know including myself is a huge A-10 fan.

Despite all that I still recognize objectively as a 50 year old attack/close air support aircraft, it's still limited in it's air to air combat capabilities. A-10's are extremally good at what they do, but they can't do everything.

And if you think an A-10 isn't at an extreme disadvantage and in super defensive deep shit vs. a modern 4.5 or 5th gen air superiority fighter you're kidding yourself. Without so much as a lonely F-teen to provide cover, the A-10 wouldn't be totally doomed.... just mostly doomed.

SAM's are just too good, without electronic warfare escort jamming them or stealth capability nobody gets to operate in that airspace until said SAMs are taken out. Simple as that.

 

[Morcheeba]

"Parked in the desert"

 

[BluesDriver66]

Then what? Try to land them on a field of glass?

Forward thinking isn't one of his strong points.

 

[GothTalk]

Then what? Try to land them on a field of glass?

You can land A-10's on grass/dirt strips.

 

[icanhelp1]

Not so. Everyone seems to assume the A10 would be a sitting duck for fighter aircraft. The below article explains why that ain't so. Here's a snippet from it:

"As powerful as the GAU-8 is, the Warthog has other tools to help it win a fight with an opposing jet. In case of a dogfight, the A-10 also carries a pair of AIM-9M sidewinder missiles. AIM-9s are infrared-guided weapons with a range of 22 miles, giving the Warthog the punch it needs to engage an enemy fighter at a distance.
The combination of the A-10’s tight turn radius and AIM-9s makes for a frightening one-two punch for aggressive enemy fighters. If an enemy jet finds itself in close quarters with an A-10, its left to choose between two difficult options: You can try to out-turn the A-10 and fire your weapons before it can, or you can turn tail and run from the BRRRT. The problem is, if you turn and run, you’re flying right into the heat-seeking Sidewinder’s trap."

https://www.sandboxx.us/blog/believe-it-or-not-the-a-10-can-hold-its-own-in-a-dogfight/

Comshaw

Without air superiority the A-10 is at a great disadvantage and doomed, it's not designed for dogfighting. The improved avionics and missile technology gave it a bit of defensive capability against air superiority aircraft. You fight an A-10 when big brother is circling at 30, 000 ft.

 

[tnman03]

If the intent is to help out on the sly then it would make more sense to provide an aircraft platform that is already in service there. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Sukhoi_Su-25_operators
Or at least those are my thoughts on the matter. It seems that some here feel the US should jump on in and enjoy a good war. I'm just hoping that we don't get dragged into that mess and it stays confined in Ukraine.

 

[icanhelp1]

If the intent is to help out on the sly then it would make more sense to provide an aircraft platform that is already in service there. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Sukhoi_Su-25_operators
Or at least those are my thoughts on the matter. It seems that some here feel the US should jump on in and enjoy a good war. I'm just hoping that we don't get dragged into that mess and it stays confined in Ukraine.

I believe there are some MI-24s kicking around.

 

[GothTalk]

Without air superiority the A-10 is at a great disadvantage and doomed, it's not designed for dogfighting. The improved avionics and missile technology gave it a bit of defensive capability against air superiority aircraft. You fight an A-10 when big brother is circling at 30, 000 ft.

https://www.lockheedmartin.com/content/dam/lockheed-martin/aero/photo/f22/F12-40037%20(1).jpg.pc-adaptive.480.high.jpg

 

[icanhelp1]

https://www.lockheedmartin.com/content/dam/lockheed-martin/aero/photo/f22/F12-40037%20(1).jpg.pc-adaptive.480.high.jpg

Exactly!!!!

 

[Rightguide]

"Parked in the desert"

Lots of hot activity going on out there.

 

[Veroe]

Didn't the EU already give Ukraine some fighter jets?

 

[BluesDriver66]

You can land A-10's on grass/dirt strips.

https://memegenerator.net/img/images/300x300/11981165.jpg

 

[GothTalk]

https://memegenerator.net/img/images/300x300/11981165.jpg

Article and pics... if you want video it's on youtube.

https://www.businessinsider.com/a-1...ng-on-improvised-runways-in-california-2019-6

https://i.insider.com/5cffd8d76fc920315f0ca8b4?width=1000&format=jpeg&auto=webp
https://militarymachine.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/A-10-Aircraft-sandy-landing.jpg