The only thing the A-10 lacks is a trillion dollar Pentagon procurement budget to line the pockets of four-stars looking to transition into a comfy consulting/lobbying gig, congressmen looking to juice the local economy in their district and secure some votes, and defense contractors looking for the next golden egg.
Keep the Warthog flying for another 25 years, just like the B-52, and focus defense budgets on the meat, not the sizzle.
Perhaps the real problem in the not so distant past is the Air Force disconnection from the Army. Air Force was in the 80s and 90s all about strategic threats and facing the ādeepā threat on the battlefield. At one point they tried to get rid of the A10 by thrusting it off on the Army (without including necessary technical considerations). Most soldiers (infantry and armor anyway) love(d) the A10 for close air support not available from other AF aircraft. Air Force began disengaging from close air support responsibilities. In fact helicopters are great but not complete for the job. Army needs more control on the AF. Moreover, historical concerns from WWII led to the demise of the Army Air Corps. A re-examination of the data in light of the gap seen today might suggest the completely separate AF was not the solution.
Iran thinks itās running war gamesābut they should just be honest and admit that the new Ayatollah has them running around playing a version of "Gay Strip Poker." It can end with them being naked and afraid. They studied outdated scenarios, built tactics for yesterdayās fight, and now theyāre getting smoked in real time. Swarm boats, bluff, noiseāmeanwhile, the U.S. is running a layered kill chain that shreds their playbook piece by piece. And the (remaining) leadership? Acting erratically, unseriously, and completely detached from the battlefield theyāre losing. This isnāt a peer adversaryāitās a regime cosplaying power while getting exposed. The more they posture, the clearer it becomes: they miscalculated badlyāand now theyāre paying for it.
The unsung hero for the A-10 Warthog was Air Force Colonel John "40 Second" Boyd. Had a standing bet that he could win any dogfight in 40 seconds, and never lost. A superb pilot and out of the box thinker who de facto ran Air Force doctrine for aircraft development in the 1960's and 1970's. The true father of both the F-15 and the A-10. He developed the Energy Maneuverability Theory, and invented the OODA loop. Observe, Orient, Decide, Act is still core Air Force doctrine today. He championed the A-10 as the necessary complement to the F-15.
Still revered by the US Marine Corps. The Marine Corps dissertation "A New Conception of War: John Boyd, the U.S. Marines, and Maneuver Warfare" and Boyd's papers are maintained in the Marine Corps doctrine archive. Wikipedia never mentions him. But the Air Force and Marine Corps know how he changed warfare to America's benefit.
John Boyd is the most important U.S. military strategist of the last 100 years that you have never heard about. He knew an aircraft like the A-10 was needed, and successfully overcame fierce opposition to the A-10. He was right 50 years ago. The A-10 would not exist today if not for John Boyd.
I read Robert Coram's book on Boyd which I highly recommend. I still find it hard to believe that a man who had such a significant impact on U.S. military aviation is largely unknown.
It occurs to me that for all of the A-10 is ātoo oldā AF arguments, the AF continues flying the even older B-52. Jusā saying.
The AF āplanned demiseā of the A-10 could be settled by turning over the A-10 and its budget to the Army and/or the Navy with additional budget to modify them for carrier duty for Marines to fly.
Heck, the Coast Guard could make use of A-10ās for interdiction shredding cartel drug fast boats.
Space Force could get in on the action by providing drug cartel hq targeting information and coordination to A-10ās.
I, like many others, have always loved the Warthog. An honest weapon designed not only to kill, but to come home. It fits a slot in the conflict scenario that no other weapon is capable of. Helicopters could assume the patrol function, but don't have the speed to match the A10, nor the survivability. We need to keep the A10's functional capabilities in whatever we replace it with. You're correct, sometimes a knife is preferable to a gun, especially in a phone booth.
The biggest issue with the A-10 is its old airframe and *individual aircraft* service life. Put a brand newly constructed A-10 with minimally installed MIC money pit "enhancements" and the niche is reasonably filled.
Every new gadget the pentagon foists on the services needn't cost billions of dollars. The multi billion MIC exists primarily to give government elites retirement pensions.
Salute! Eye-popping facts that support the genius of our military planners, and provide an unassailable argument for the need for further funding to assure the availability of the Warthog. Thank you for this study!
One essential question:
Why not build new A-10's? Or upgrade the existing ones? Cost savings over newer technology would be dramatic.
The 70 y.o. B-52 is one example of continuous upgrading, even though the Warthog's airframe sustains arguably more stress.
The only thing the A-10 lacks is a trillion dollar Pentagon procurement budget to line the pockets of four-stars looking to transition into a comfy consulting/lobbying gig, congressmen looking to juice the local economy in their district and secure some votes, and defense contractors looking for the next golden egg.
Keep the Warthog flying for another 25 years, just like the B-52, and focus defense budgets on the meat, not the sizzle.
It's time to straighten the Strait of Hormuz to end this problem forever.
The Strait is not open, the A-10 hasn't achieved anything, and Iran made all the right decisions.
Their "navy" is a complete after-thought. They focused on the correct strategy; drones and ballistic missiles.
The US currently has no cost-effective answer to Iran's strategy.
The US has already lost, Mr. Flintstone.
Don't publish AI slop as if it is your own work.
Perhaps the real problem in the not so distant past is the Air Force disconnection from the Army. Air Force was in the 80s and 90s all about strategic threats and facing the ādeepā threat on the battlefield. At one point they tried to get rid of the A10 by thrusting it off on the Army (without including necessary technical considerations). Most soldiers (infantry and armor anyway) love(d) the A10 for close air support not available from other AF aircraft. Air Force began disengaging from close air support responsibilities. In fact helicopters are great but not complete for the job. Army needs more control on the AF. Moreover, historical concerns from WWII led to the demise of the Army Air Corps. A re-examination of the data in light of the gap seen today might suggest the completely separate AF was not the solution.
Iran thinks itās running war gamesābut they should just be honest and admit that the new Ayatollah has them running around playing a version of "Gay Strip Poker." It can end with them being naked and afraid. They studied outdated scenarios, built tactics for yesterdayās fight, and now theyāre getting smoked in real time. Swarm boats, bluff, noiseāmeanwhile, the U.S. is running a layered kill chain that shreds their playbook piece by piece. And the (remaining) leadership? Acting erratically, unseriously, and completely detached from the battlefield theyāre losing. This isnāt a peer adversaryāitās a regime cosplaying power while getting exposed. The more they posture, the clearer it becomes: they miscalculated badlyāand now theyāre paying for it.
Might be time to revisit swing-wing designs.
It's too bad we have a moron in of our military.
I love wishful thinking that an outmoded, antique mainframe is going to win a 21st Century drone war. Good luck with that one, Cappy!
The unsung hero for the A-10 Warthog was Air Force Colonel John "40 Second" Boyd. Had a standing bet that he could win any dogfight in 40 seconds, and never lost. A superb pilot and out of the box thinker who de facto ran Air Force doctrine for aircraft development in the 1960's and 1970's. The true father of both the F-15 and the A-10. He developed the Energy Maneuverability Theory, and invented the OODA loop. Observe, Orient, Decide, Act is still core Air Force doctrine today. He championed the A-10 as the necessary complement to the F-15.
Still revered by the US Marine Corps. The Marine Corps dissertation "A New Conception of War: John Boyd, the U.S. Marines, and Maneuver Warfare" and Boyd's papers are maintained in the Marine Corps doctrine archive. Wikipedia never mentions him. But the Air Force and Marine Corps know how he changed warfare to America's benefit.
John Boyd is the most important U.S. military strategist of the last 100 years that you have never heard about. He knew an aircraft like the A-10 was needed, and successfully overcame fierce opposition to the A-10. He was right 50 years ago. The A-10 would not exist today if not for John Boyd.
I read Robert Coram's book on Boyd which I highly recommend. I still find it hard to believe that a man who had such a significant impact on U.S. military aviation is largely unknown.
It occurs to me that for all of the A-10 is ātoo oldā AF arguments, the AF continues flying the even older B-52. Jusā saying.
The AF āplanned demiseā of the A-10 could be settled by turning over the A-10 and its budget to the Army and/or the Navy with additional budget to modify them for carrier duty for Marines to fly.
Heck, the Coast Guard could make use of A-10ās for interdiction shredding cartel drug fast boats.
Space Force could get in on the action by providing drug cartel hq targeting information and coordination to A-10ās.
I, like many others, have always loved the Warthog. An honest weapon designed not only to kill, but to come home. It fits a slot in the conflict scenario that no other weapon is capable of. Helicopters could assume the patrol function, but don't have the speed to match the A10, nor the survivability. We need to keep the A10's functional capabilities in whatever we replace it with. You're correct, sometimes a knife is preferable to a gun, especially in a phone booth.
The biggest issue with the A-10 is its old airframe and *individual aircraft* service life. Put a brand newly constructed A-10 with minimally installed MIC money pit "enhancements" and the niche is reasonably filled.
Every new gadget the pentagon foists on the services needn't cost billions of dollars. The multi billion MIC exists primarily to give government elites retirement pensions.
Salute! Eye-popping facts that support the genius of our military planners, and provide an unassailable argument for the need for further funding to assure the availability of the Warthog. Thank you for this study!