Too good to be true?

"TheOnelectronic" (theoneelectronic) 06/27/2015 at 21:01 • Filed to: None

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There are no citations or anything, but this post is claiming that the Air Force’s plan to retire the A-10 has been “rejected.”

davedave1111 > TheOnelectronic 06/27/2015 at 21:11

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In what way is that good, even if it’s true? Have you been drinking Tyler’s Kool-Aid again?

TheOnelectronic > davedave1111 06/27/2015 at 21:12

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Tyler makes a lot of good points. What are your reasons why it’s a bad thing?

PS9 > TheOnelectronic 06/27/2015 at 21:13

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I...don’t think it works like that? The GAO is responsible for issuing reports to the congress and has an investigatory role, but I don’t think they can ‘yay’ or ‘nay’ specific measures in the budget like that.

Also I really hope the False Dichotomy Festival is almost through with it’s tour through the US, because it’s getting old. We don’t have to choose BRRRRT or gay marriage. We can have both.

LongbowMkII > davedave1111 06/27/2015 at 21:16

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It is awesome. The F-35 is lame.

whoarder is tellurium > TheOnelectronic 06/27/2015 at 21:17

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The whole air force needs an overhaul on its ideas for the future.

I’m glad the A-10 stays (again) but it needs a replacement aircraft. Not just a “fill the gap with the F-35” replacement. Same goes for our bomber fleet.

TheOnelectronic > PS9 06/27/2015 at 21:17

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That does bother me very frequently. “WHY ARE WE TALKING ABOUT PIE WHEN CAKE IS ALSO POSSIBLE!?”

pip bip - choose Corrour > TheOnelectronic 06/27/2015 at 21:21

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mmmmmm! cake! banana cake!!!!

davedave1111 > TheOnelectronic 06/27/2015 at 21:27

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Tyler has a thing for making half the points, and then claiming he’s on the side with the only points to make. It’s controversial Gawker shite, not real journalism.

If you read anyone credible, the A10’s day is long past. It was a wonderful beast, it’s amazing it’s still in service now, but it’s completely outdated.

davedave1111 > LongbowMkII 06/27/2015 at 21:27

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Lol?

TheOnelectronic > davedave1111 06/27/2015 at 21:30

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So do you have any good reasons or...? “Go do your own research” is the oldest cop-out in the book. I know a fair bit about the A-10, and based on my knowledge and things I’ve read, I feel the F-35 would do a worse job for more money. So unless you’ve got some compelling arguments, I’m going to continue feeling that way.

davedave1111 > TheOnelectronic 06/27/2015 at 21:45

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Why are you bringing the F-35 into it (apart from the Kool-Aid thing)? The question is whether the A10’s fit for purpose. The answer is that it isn’t. If the F-35 can’t do the CAS role effectively - in fact it can, but hey, let’s deal with Tyler’s imaginary shit for a minute - then the USAF needs a new CAS plane.

“ “Go do your own research” is the oldest cop-out in the book”

I didn’t say that. I said that there’s a near-universal opposition to Tyler’s deliberately controversial bollocks. You do realise that this ia a >50 year old plane we’re talking about, right? Armchair warriors commonly think that you can substitute for technology with cannon fodder, but even if you don’t value your servicemen’s lives, the reality is that the entire history of military development has been about the concentration of force.

TheOnelectronic > davedave1111 06/27/2015 at 21:53

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I’m bringing the F-35 into it because that’s what stands to replace the A-10 if it’s retired. That makes it pretty relevant.

But if “It’s old” and “everyone is saying it!” (which has not been my experience in the slightest; you are in fact the first person I’ve seen saying it /should/ be retired) are all you’ve got then I don’t think this discussion is going anywhere.

LongbowMkII > davedave1111 06/27/2015 at 21:55

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the first ones were built in 1972. for being so knowledgeable....

guess we can destroy the B-52’s then too.

davedave1111 > LongbowMkII 06/27/2015 at 22:04

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Whoops, typo. I meant 40+, of course. And the B-52 is a completely different kettle of fish, given that it’s role these days is as a stand-off bomber.

davedave1111 > TheOnelectronic 06/27/2015 at 22:10

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The F-35 isn’t replacing the A10. The A10 ground-attack concept is considered obsolete. Now, that might be a mistake, the USAF might need a specialised CAS plane, but there’s no way to make the A10 sufficiently survivable in a future war.

“which has not been my experience in the slightest; you are in fact the first person I’ve seen saying it /should/ be retired”

Well, me, the USAF, and every serious military commentator... This one’s hardly controversial, Tyler’s out on a limb occupied only by those who let nostalgia for a cool plane get in the way of making sensible decisions.

“I don’t think this discussion is going anywhere.”

OK, well here’s something for you to think about. If there was an A10 coming to attack your family, could you work out a way to bring it down using a hand-grenade plus maybe a hundred bucks worth of the contents of the nearest Walmart? See the problem yet?

TheOnelectronic > davedave1111 06/27/2015 at 22:37

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Uh, no, actually I can’t figure that out, since the A-10 could wipe me and my family out from a great distance using an AGM-65 missile. Even in gun range, I can’t think of how I would take it down using a hand grenade and a walmart run.

I’m not saying it’s impossible, just that I don’t see it. Would love to hear how that would be done, though.

davedave1111 > TheOnelectronic 06/28/2015 at 09:38

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The problem with AA weapons has always been delivery systems. These days you can buy a delivery system in Walmart for peanuts in the form of a RC helicopter/not-a-drone. You then will have a guided weapons delivery system, pretty much out of the box. ISIS and so-on have worked this out already.