The New NDAA Rejects the Retirement of the A-10. Is Congress getting this one right or is the interference a problem?

SGT Jeremiah B. — Thu, 01 Oct 2015 17:13:55 -0400

“Rigorous oversight, endorsements from Soldiers and Marines about the protection only the A-10 can provide, and repeated deployments in support of OIR have persuaded many Members from both parties that the budget-driven decision to retire the A-10 is misguided,” the document states.

I don't know about you, but I'm ecstatic. Yes, I know the NDAA is under threat of veto for a different portion, but this should survive any problems.

http://www.dodbuzz.com/2015/09/30/congress-to-air-force-push-to-retire-a-10-misguided/

Response by SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL made Oct 1 at 2015 5:17 PM

SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL — Thu, 01 Oct 2015 17:17:07 -0400

SGT Jeremiah B. the A-10 is one of the all time greats(the DESTORM STORM SILENT KILLER), in my opinion 'War-Hog" needs to continue on supporting our great Armed Forces.

Response by SSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 1 at 2015 5:17 PM

SSgt Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 01 Oct 2015 17:17:12 -0400

SGT Jeremiah B. I think it is right at this time. They are realizing (FINALLY) that the F-35 is not the next big thing. They even came out & said they are going to develop a CAS-based bird to replace the A-10 in the future.

Response by SSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 1 at 2015 5:18 PM

SSgt Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 01 Oct 2015 17:18:45 -0400

News I am glad to hear. Do you have a source or article that accompanies this?

Response by MSG Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 1 at 2015 5:19 PM

MSG Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 01 Oct 2015 17:19:18 -0400

Thats a nice meme. Thats a niiiiiiiice meme.

Response by SPC David S. made Oct 1 at 2015 5:20 PM

SPC David S. — Thu, 01 Oct 2015 17:20:31 -0400

Sometimes its not about the money - yes this is good news. BRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRT

Response by SrA Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 1 at 2015 5:21 PM

SrA Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 01 Oct 2015 17:21:24 -0400

It's about time someone came to their senses. The A-10 is one of the very best in our arsenal. As the saying goes, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it."

All the money wasted on the 22 and 35 could have gone into upgrading and maintaining our A-10s.

Then again, that would have taken money out of Lockheeds pockets and we can't have that.

Response by Capt Richard I P. made Oct 1 at 2015 5:26 PM

Capt Richard I P. — Thu, 01 Oct 2015 17:26:26 -0400

Good. Maybe we can put the money toward developing something like the A-10 to take off and land on carriers, then we Marines can have some too.

Of course the real bang for buck in future CAS is in UAVs.

Response by LCDR Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 1 at 2015 5:46 PM

LCDR Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 01 Oct 2015 17:46:42 -0400

I understand why many want the A-10 to stick around, but yes Congress intervention when they are forcing the Air Force to cut their budget is a problem. By the way this isn't peculiar to the Air Force. The Navy and Army are also told to keep things they would be using to meet their budgets. It's politics, not military. The A-10 gets the most news because it's so well known and successful. It's also however old and needs to be replaced (even if it's by new A-10s).

Response by LTC John Shaw made Oct 1 at 2015 5:52 PM

LTC John Shaw — Thu, 01 Oct 2015 17:52:10 -0400

SGT Jeremiah B. Killing the A-10 is all about funding the F-35. When we don't have it the Army and Marine Corps will suffer for it, not the Air Force, so that is why no one in the USAF cares. I hope the A-10 stays or gets shifted to the Army where it plays the CAS role and can be improved.

Response by LTC Bink Romanick made Oct 1 at 2015 6:59 PM

LTC Bink Romanick — Thu, 01 Oct 2015 18:59:52 -0400

SGT Jeremiah B. As tankers we both love the A-10! We both know that the USAF hates the ground attack mission. Good on congress.

Response by LTC Stephen F. made Oct 1 at 2015 8:04 PM

LTC Stephen F. — Thu, 01 Oct 2015 20:04:31 -0400

Thanks for the update SGT Jeremiah B.. I am very thankful that the NDAA rejects the retirement of the A-10 Warthog which is one of the very few aircraft that strikes fear of enemy ground soldiers and generates cheers (sometimes silent from those concealed snipers, LRRPs, etc.) from our soldiers, Marines and other deployed ground pounders.
One day I hope the USAF will remember its roots as the U.S. Army Air Corps where it distinguished itself in WWII. COL Mikel J. Burroughs, LTC Stephen C., SFC James Sczymanski, CPT L S, SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL, SSgt Terry P.. SGT Robert Hawks, SGT Forrest Stewart, SGT Randal Groover, SrA Christopher Wright

Response by MAJ Ken Landgren made Oct 1 at 2015 9:26 PM

MAJ Ken Landgren — Thu, 01 Oct 2015 21:26:44 -0400

Do you what's wrong? Does anyone know what's wrong? I will tell you. We need to put some bling on those A-10s so they look new.

Response by SSG Gerhard S. made Oct 1 at 2015 10:33 PM

SSG Gerhard S. — Thu, 01 Oct 2015 22:33:26 -0400

Congress got it right... Uncharacteristically.

Response by MSgt John Taylor made Oct 1 at 2015 11:27 PM

MSgt John Taylor — Thu, 01 Oct 2015 23:27:46 -0400

As a crew chief on A-10's for several years, I am one of it's biggest fans. What a great aircraft it is! The problem with the A-10 is that smart weapons render it useless. We have smart cluster bombs that can target and take out every heat source in an armored convoy. every bomb that the hog can carry, the F-15E and F-16 can carry. The difference is that the latter can get there faster. My last trip to Afghanistan, I was there with F-15Es. We were there at the same time that an A-10C unit. We tended to handle most of the TIC because of the speed of the aircraft. We didn't have a 30mm cannon, but considering that most targets were "soft" targets, we didn't need one. The A-10 is a cold war solution whose time has pass. I think that it's time for the aircraft to go, but not until they have its replacement.

Response by SFC Mark Merino made Oct 2 at 2015 12:19 AM

SFC Mark Merino — Fri, 02 Oct 2015 00:19:37 -0400

Will common sense prevail? This decision to kill the A-10 was obviously done at echelons above reality by people who would NEVER be in need of CAS. If they can save her, it is a HUGE victory to us little people who actually get a little schmutz on our uniforms under fire. Now if we could quit revamping our uniforms every 6 months we could save the OH-58D. All in all, good news. Freedom Farts for everyone!

Response by PO3 Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 2 at 2015 7:55 AM

PO3 Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 02 Oct 2015 07:55:14 -0400

good decision!

Response by SSG Warren Swan made Oct 2 at 2015 9:22 AM

SSG Warren Swan — Fri, 02 Oct 2015 09:22:29 -0400

It's about time someone listens to us. ANY machine that can belch and destroy stuff at the same time is cool with me.

Response by SGT James Elphick made Oct 2 at 2015 4:31 PM

SGT James Elphick — Fri, 02 Oct 2015 16:31:38 -0400

I'm happy to hear that Congress is actually working to keep a vital air frame in the fight. However, SSG John Thornton is correct, the A-10 is getting old, and the Air Force shutdown the production line immediately following the first and only run, meaning maintenance is an issue. On that issue I think the USMC should look at cancelling the F-35B (I think the A and C are salvageable if they ditch the B series) and work with the Air Force on a VTOL CAS platform. I also think if there is the ability to hand off control of a CAS drone (this would need to be developed as well) to the JTAC on the ground that might be a viable option as well.

Response by SGT Jaime Becerra made Oct 2 at 2015 6:08 PM

SGT Jaime Becerra — Fri, 02 Oct 2015 18:08:53 -0400

all that is needed is to make a few updates , which in reality is minimal financially to keep the A-10 in service.
seeing this bird in a AO strikes not just fear in the enemy but it KILLS thee buggers which is the true purpose of CAS.
AIRTAZ

Response by MAJ Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 2 at 2015 7:31 PM

MAJ Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 02 Oct 2015 19:31:29 -0400

This is still the best Close Air Support airframe in my opinion. It is a Tank killer built like a tank. I don't think that the newer options could take a beating like the 'Hog

Response by CPT Ahmed Faried made Oct 2 at 2015 7:56 PM

CPT Ahmed Faried — Fri, 02 Oct 2015 19:56:46 -0400

They are getting this right. While it is true that the Warthog isn't survivable in contested airspace we always find our way back to environments where this specific platform is a force multiplier. I say keep it.

Response by TSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 3 at 2015 2:57 PM

TSgt Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 03 Oct 2015 14:57:38 -0400

I think this is a good move, we shouldn't retire it until we have something that can do what we call on the A-10 to do.

Response by TSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 4 at 2015 2:11 PM

TSgt Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 04 Oct 2015 14:11:12 -0400

This is great news! Davis-Monthan AFB would be pretty empty without my sister squadrons.

Response by SrA Chris Hunt made Oct 6 at 2015 4:48 PM

SrA Chris Hunt — Tue, 06 Oct 2015 16:48:07 -0400

Thank God they are going to keep her! Love this plane, it was a major part of my life. Knowing that the A-10 is still there gives comfort as my boys are out there serving today!

Response by 2d Lt Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 7 at 2015 12:29 PM

2d Lt Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 07 Oct 2015 12:29:50 -0400

As a Former Marine turned Air Force mechanic (A-10 maintainer no less) and flight school selectee, I probably have a biased perspective...but I think Congress actually got this right. Like it or not, the US military is overseen by civilian leaders elected by the public. Enough Special Operators, Pilots, Marines, Soldiers and officers spoke to their representatives about this issue and they actually listened. Look, it's no surprise the Air Force wants to kill this plane. The Air Force tried to kill it while it was still on the drawing board. The Air Force simply doesn't want the CAS mission, but the A-10 is hands down the best CAS platform we have. Until a viable replacement – one that is just as capable or hopefully even more capable than the A-10 – is seriously discussed by Air Force leadership, the A-10 should remain in service. Other fighter aircraft such as the F-15, F-16 and F-18 are excellent at providing airstrikes, but there are distinct differences between an airstrike and CAS. The Air Force is trying to push a decision that most of the general public and a large portion of ground combat personnel see as a huge mistake – a mistake that compromises our warfighting capability. Republicans and Democrats rarely agree on anything, so the fact that both parties apparently support keeping this plane in service (especially when so few jobs and lobbyist opportunities are attached to the plane’s survival – unlike the F-35) is telling to me. I truly believe Congress got something right.

Response by MSgt Jeffrey Forer made Oct 29 at 2015 4:13 PM

MSgt Jeffrey Forer — Thu, 29 Oct 2015 16:13:20 -0400

Why is it so important? The F-16 flys 70% of CAS missions.

Response by SSgt William C. Brooks made Mar 8 at 2016 11:53 PM

SSgt William C. Brooks — Tue, 08 Mar 2016 23:53:58 -0500

The A-10 is excellent in every theater it has been used for. Don't throw away one of the best war tools America has ever had!!!

Response by SMSgt Lawrence McCarter made Mar 28 at 2019 11:52 PM

SMSgt Lawrence McCarter — Thu, 28 Mar 2019 23:52:52 -0400

Guess that would sure stop the convoy !