Tag: A-10

Some enterprising hiker in the future may wander upon this prize one day:

 An A-10 Thunderbolt II pilot inadvertently dropped a projectile outside a designated training area on Oct. 13, according to the 51st Fighter Wing at Osan.

The pilot from the 25th Fighter Squadron was on a routine training flight when he released the non-explosive projectile over rough, remote terrain just south of Pilsung Ragne in Gangwan Province, according to an emailed statement from wing spokesman 1st Lt. Daniel de La Fe.

The South Korean Ministry of Defense was immediately notified and a combined search and recovery team from the wing and South Korea swept the area from the air and ground, according to the statement.

“During the sweep, leadership from both the U.S. and [South Korean] sides determined that based on the terrain at the projected location of impact, there was not a significant threat to anyone and called the search off on Oct. 16,” de La Fe wrote.

Stars & Stripes

You can read more at the link.

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.