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LTC John Shaw
6
6
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Killing this airframe alone could fund all personnel shortages. It doesnt make sense when compared to drone and cheaper close air support airframes. I hope some significant new technology win is involved but I don't see it.
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CMSgt Bill Ford
CMSgt Bill Ford
8 y
LTC John Shaw - Your right...the price tag...OMG...I have mix feelings, the F-35 is a very good 5th generation fighter, but trying to make it a replacement for the A-10, F-16/15, AV-8 and God knows what else...is not fair to the design. The F-35 and it's price tag cause me a lot of personnel issues during my last year in the AF, they AF let 25k people go and was ready to cut a lot of Heavy's to get this fighter. Like I told Major Hindrichs, the AF has NO intention of using the F-35 for CAS because they believe the mission will be unnecessary.
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COL Ted Mc
COL Ted Mc
8 y
CMSgt Bill Ford - Chief; Other than the fact that it costs more, flies slower, can't fly as far, can't carry as much ordnance, can't fly as high, and isn't actually designed to be able to protect itself (which means that you have to have a second aircraft "riding shotgun") the F-35 is MUCH superior to the F-22.
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TSgt Low Observable Aircraft Structural Maintenance
TSgt (Join to see)
8 y
COL Ted Mc - Sir, from an LO maintainer's stand point the F-35 is still new and all ready starting to break more than its supposed to. The main reason is its coatings system,to make it stealth is falling off. Maintainers are trying to keep it on takes alot of work, we don't even want to talk about the cost for the tape alone to fix this jet.
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COL Ted Mc
COL Ted Mc
8 y
TSgt (Join to see) - Sergeant; Wouldn't it be amusing if the AF were to use DayGlo red tape for the repairs?
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LTC Self Employed
5
5
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and the A-10 is no good anymore ? The Usaf is not fooling not fooling Senator McCain and
Congresswoman McSally!
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LTC Self Employed
LTC (Join to see)
8 y
Cb7ba901
COL Ted Mc - I got this from a SSG on Rallypoint. I can't recall his name but he made me laugh and made my day!
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LTC Self Employed
LTC (Join to see)
8 y
COL Ted Mc - Congresswoman McSally, that many here know already was an A-10 pilot who commanded a squadron in wartime and flew 300 hours, rips the AF pet project to shreds!https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xrZoU9SR7II
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LTC Self Employed
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COL Ted Mc
COL Ted Mc
8 y
LTC (Join to see) - Major; I know that it's silly to do this, but you can buy roughly 10 A-10s for the price of one F-35 and you can fly them for roughly twice as long for the same cost.

That means that each F-35 offers approximately 1/20th the amount of CAS/$ as an A-10 does.

Fit the A-10s with recoverable and reusable external fuel tanks so that they actually have a decent "loiter time" (and there is absolutely no reason why the same "high-tech" that goes into an iRobot vacuum cleaner couldn't be fitted so that the dropped fuel tanks would make their way home automatically) and you can establish the same sort of "taxi rank" CAS that the USAAF provided during WWII.
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SPC David S.
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Edited 8 y ago
F-35 vs 20 unmanned fighter drones that are more less autonomous able to engage enemy aircraft and deliver kinetics while not limited to the forces of a manned fighter. Stop the insanity while addressing the projected pilot shortage - the business model of expensive, overly complicated, manned aircraft is broken -unnecessary and only serves the politicians who are profiting from such boondoggles. However not surprised to see senior officers pushing this in a desperate attempt to find a purpose for their being - With nothing more than drones Air Force could easily be adsorb back from which it came. Embrace the future as its much easier than getting dragged into it.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DRDO_AURA
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CMSgt Bill Ford
CMSgt Bill Ford
8 y
Wow...thanks SPC...
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