USFK Commander Says A-10 Retirement Would Leave Gap In Ability to Defend Against North Korea
I think everyone except the Air Force senior leadership realizes it is crazy to think the F-35 can provide the same capability as the A-10:
The commander of U.S. forces in South Korea said Wednesday that the retirement of the A-10 aircraft will leave a gap in the ability to take out enemy tanks from the air.
Gen. Curtis Scaparrotti made the comment under questioning by House lawmakers and said he would compensate for the change by using air and ground forces differently if war breaks out on the peninsula.
The Air Force is pushing a controversial plan to retire the 1970’s-era close air support stalwart, which can shoot tank-busting depleted uranium rounds, and replace it with the F-35 Lightning II joint strike fighter, which remains in development and will have limited combat capability when it first goes into operation this summer.
“It would open a gap in terms of that aircraft with that specific capability,” said Scaparrotti, who along with other defense officials warned Wednesday of an increasingly belligerent North Korea.
The testimony comes a day after the Pentagon told lawmakers that the first version of the F-35 will not be able to outdo the A-10 Warthog and its powerful nose cannon on the battlefield.
The Block 2B set to got to the Marine Corps this summer will only be able to carry four bombs and not have any guns. Future variants are expected to have improved weapons but still face high development hurdles. [Stars & Stripes]
You can read the rest at the link.
Senior military and civilian leadership follow the current resident of 1600 Penna… Makes sense to only elect people who love America…
I was riding in my CUCV from Seoul to Chuncheon along the old, twisty two-lane 46 east of Gapyeong (before the bridges were built) when I heard this odd noise coming from the valley below. I looked to my right and downward towards the river and saw two A-10 Warthogs flying low-and-slow, in tandem. These planes were perfectly suited for Korea’s mountainous terrain, able to maintain stable flight just above the valley floor, making them well-suited for recon and close air support. It was a perfect example of the right technology in the right place at the right time. Of course, that was 30 years ago. Maybe they’ve flattened out all the mountains since then? Straightened out the valleys? Can the F-35 pop out from around the side of a hill, identify an enemy armored column and inflict some serious damage all in a single pass?
Bruce has spoken much wisdom. Not to mention how many A-10s one can support for the price of each new F-35 and ongoing maintenance…
Senior military and civilian leadership follow the
current resident of 1600 Pennamoney…You may be right, Leon… All I have is the Constitution to go by (President = Commander in Chief and all that) . If you have evidence of a crime, you should probably provide it to law enforcement.
I think if anyone had evidence of a crime, the media would be all over it in a feeding frenzy. Bribery in our system is codified and legal. That’s the problem, and whomsoever is the current commander in chief has very little to do with the flaws in our system which go back quite some time.
Don’t forget Congress.
It’s no accident Lockheed makes sure to keep those jobs rolling in the politically important states.
Anything the Congress does needs to be signed by the President (AKA Commander-in-Chief) or overridden by 2/3 vote (unlikely in the best of times).