The Air Force’s 281 A-10s are mission capable 73 percent of the time and are its primary close-air support craft. Before it retires the KC-10 “Extender,” its long-distance, high-capacity aerial refueling plane, the Air Force should reconsider. Although benefits will, Air Force Pilots Revealed To Us Why You Can't Kill the A-10 Warthog “The A-10 is not agile, nimble, fast or quick,” Haden said. When I was flying the ERA-3B is the aggressor role 1979-1982 the AF A-10 pilots were already fighting that fight. Air Force generals have made mostly the same case they have in the past to retire these historic fleets: The A-10 and U-2 have served the country well, but the Air Force … The Air Force is planning to retire 21 older Block 30 RQ-4B Global Hawks and three Block 20 drones modified to serve as EQ-4B Battlefield … Then sit down and ask questions about why the military does or does not do things a certain way. Why the A-10 does it best: The simple reason the A-10 community dominates at CAS is their training. The U.S. Air Force has tried to retire the A-10 since the 1991 Persian Gulf War, allocating its mission to the F-16, and now the F-35A. The Air Force is poor and trying to find money they genuinely need for fighter recapitalization. However, for Air Force Reserve retirement, your last six years must be creditable Reserve service. By Other Means An Air Force officer: The military doesn’t want to retain talent (or at least that’s the perception) In January, I wrote a column … The U.S. Air Force has practically begged Congress to allow it to retire its roughly 300 A-10 Warthogs, those venerable twin-jet attackers that saved countless soldiers’ lives in Iraq and… Literally for decades—since well before the 1991 Iraq war—the U.S. Air Force has been trying to get rid of the A-10 Warthog close air support aircraft. And as names go, "Air Force One" has gone from being a term that represents not only the call sign of any Air Force aircraft on which the president is flying to describing the most recent model of the presidential aircraft — the Boeing 747-200 itself. Story highlights. The Air Force is trying desperately to retire the A-10 Thunderbolt II, arguably the best Close Air Support platform ever fielded, so that it can spend more money on the F-35. It could even be a great time to learn a new language. The stubby Warthog with its powerful 30-millimeter cannon proved effective as a close-air-support aircraft in Iraq and Afghanistan.. The Air Force still is considering a possible retirement of the fourth-generation F-15 Eagle fighter — and it could happen by the end of the next decade. And while it may be tempting to chalk this fight up to a power struggle between Congress and the Air Force, there's more going on in this disagreement than meets the eye. There are several reasons the Air Force did not/does not want it. If you want air supremacy, ... To have a better understanding why A-10 is absolute day 1 off the production line is better to look at doctrine vs doctrine. The U.S. Air Force has launched a study to find the A-10 Thunderbolt II replacement. Since December, retiree cards issued have an expiration date effective the day before the retiree's 65th birthday. America’s return to great power conflict requires a force that can reach China and Russia from far-away U.S. air bases. It will have to get past Congress first. And today’s Air Force One might not have an escape pod, but it has just about everything else. Lawmakers have wrestled with how to replace the A-10 for years. Check into the Air Force Media program to get access to an online library including current and past Air Force reading lists. Yes, Air Force Reserve members are eligible to receive retirement benefits after completion of 20 satisfactory years of service. For some U.S. Air Force leaders, retiring the A-10 Warthog close-air … Agreed, the A-10 does the job. This can include any combination of Active Duty, Guard or Reserve time with any military branch. ... they want to fly as much as they can. A U.S. Air Force A-10 Thunderbolt II, assigned to the A-10C Thunderbolt II Demonstration Team, taxis down the flight line at Davis-Monthan Air Force … Here's exactly what the A-10 does, and why the Air Force would be crazy to retire it Next Here's an overview of the Department of Defense's close air support (CAS) platforms: “It’s deliberate, measured, hefty, … The average A-10 is 38 years old, and even though the bulk of the A-10 fleet has just been scheduled to get new wings, canceling the re-winging and retiring the Warthog could save as much as .7 billion. “The [A-10’s GAU-8 30mm] gun really does scare people and that’s nice to know,” Air National Guard Col. Michael Stohler, an A-10 pilot currently flying sorties (air missions) against ISIS forces, told Military.com. The Air Force wants to retire aging aircraft. When it comes to the fight over whether or not to retire the A-10, there are two distinct sides: the Air Force, which wants to retire the A-10, and Congress, which wants to keep the A-10. The Air Force acquired the subsonic, twin-engine planes in the 1970s and 1980s in order to destroy Soviet tanks. The Air Force did not want the A-10 in the first place and have been trying everything they could to get rid of it without letup. The Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II is a single-seat, twin turbofan engine, straight wing jet aircraft developed by Fairchild-Republic for the United States Air Force (USAF). ... the Air Force will be able to retire the older aircraft while claiming it had no choice as a result of metal fatigue. Air Force pilots are attractive because they have typically met or exceeded the number of in-flight hours required by regulations. But supporters of the A-10 Warthog say it has been key to close-air support missions in Afghanistan and Iraq. The Air Force is resorting to dirty tricks because it can't make a valid argument against the A-10, proven to be reliable, effective, and a favorite of troops on the ground." Despite its popularity with ground troops, the Air Force wanted to retire the A-10 early in order to free up around $5 billion for … The Air Force also confirmed Tuesday that it plans to maintain the majority of its A-10 Warthogs. Key provisions in the conference report prevent the Air Force from using any of its budget allocation to retire, prepare to retire, or place into storage any A-10 aircraft. The 20-year point also often corresponds to a crucial up-or-out promotion point; members who stick around longer can retire after 40 years with a pension payout worth 100% of … Given the U.S. Air Force plan to retire its A-10 fleet in … This year’s Bill also provides a strongly-worded prohibition against reductions in A-10 manning before the end of 2016, leaving Congress time to pass another defense budget before the service can diminish its A-10 … The U.S. Air Force is about to execute a plan that could have irreversible consequences, and time is running out to change course. The Air Force Is Slowly Killing Off the A-10 Warthog . It is commonly referred to by the nicknames "Warthog" or "Hog", although the A-10's official name comes from the Republic P-47 Thunderbolt, a World War II fighter-bomber effective at attacking ground … But we don't want a small fancy air force we want a big one with maximum aircraft. A-10 Warthog, if eliminated, would save $3.5 billion in Pentagon spending. 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