I dont keep up with military stuff, but I follow afganistan command rc east and bagram on Facebook since I was there. They recently had a post about the retirement of the a-10.

Is this being completely removed from service? Is there a cas replacement I'm not aware of? I just remember watching those things on attack runs and thinking that's got to be the most terrifying feeling to be on the recieving end of.

Why retire them? In seems like they were the best plane out there for afghanistan

[This message has been edited by Tony (edited 4/13/2014 12:03p).]

http://forums.texags.com/main/forum.reply.asp?topic_id=2425964&page=1&forum_id=63

Tony, it is an increasingly hot topic. McCain is now actively involved, and that will make things even more difficult for AF senior leadership. Here is an article that the Washington Post ran last week.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/air-force-plan-to-get-rid-of-a-10s-runs-into-opposition/2014/04/10/de0f041c-c015-11e3-b574-f8748871856a_story.html

quote:

---

It earned its tough reputation during the 1991 Persian Gulf War, taking out much of Iraq’s tanks, artillery and missile sites. It has also been a mainstay of the recent conflicts, flying over rugged terrain to support ground troops, at very low speeds and altitudes lower than downtown office buildings.

Last year, two Maryland Air National Guard pilots were awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross with Valor for their part in a mission that saved 90 coalition troops who were on the verge of being overrun by Taliban fighters in a valley in eastern Afghanistan.

The weather was horrible — drenching rain — and so was the visibility. After talking to the troops on the ground, Lt. Col. Paul C. Zurkowski fired a rocket from his A-10 into the ridgeline where the enemy had hunkered down. He was hit by enemy fire — although he didn’t know it — and made another pass, and another, emptying his gun into the ridgeline until he had fired more than a thousand rounds. Finally, running low on fuel, he returned to base.

A few minutes later, when Maj. Christopher Cisneros, his wingman, arrived, he could tell the troops on the ground were in real trouble. They were “danger close,” calling in fire virtually on top of themselves, knowing there was a chance they could get hit as well.

“They didn’t have a lot of time left,” Cisneros said. “They were at the point where they were being overrun.”

So Cisneros led a formation of three A-10s in low over the valley, firing until the troops could break free and helicopters could come in to evacuate them. Three coalition troops were wounded, but none was killed.

---

In my humble opinion, They definitely should NOT retire the A-10. Speaking from personal experience, A-10 Warthogs on a CAS run are a Beautiful sight to see.

AGGIE12B
JC '88
If you value the Freedom and Liberties you have in your life, be sure to Thank a Veteran everyday!

The House budget that just passed keeps the A-10 around.
www.military.com/daily-news/2014/05/22/house-passes-defense-bill-boosts-troop-pay-raise.html

quote:

---

The bill would give troops, with the exception of general and flag officers, a 1.8 percent pay raise in keeping with private-sector wage growth. It would also reject the Defense Department's other proposals to curb personnel costs by reducing housing, commissary and Tricare benefits. It would also restore funding for the A-10 gunship, EA-18G electronic warfare jet and other weapons programs.

---

Now it just has to survive the Senate markup and conference.

Appreciate the update.

This month's Air Force Magazine says there are 334 A-10Cs in the Total Active Inventory, with an average age of 32.3 years.

It's depressing just how aged most of the fleet is now.

My son flies them. Imagine a machine that does what it is supposed to do. Holding our breath, hope they understand, when you are on the ground there is no better sight than a Warthog on the horizon.

I'm fairly convinced I would not want to fly any airplane for its mission vs a helicopter....except for the A-10.