
A-10s and F-35s Working Together to Save Downed Pilots - emeraldd
https://warisboring.com/a-10s-and-f-35s-working-together-to-save-downed-pilots-9efc7f7dc576#.3epu6scp9
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exabrial
Really what the A10 needs is newer engines and sensors. The engines are an old
design, and parts are expensive. If they could use something from a newer
plane, that would be a huge lifespan extension.

A10s do have glass cockpits now, but the main thing they lack is FLIR. The
apache longbow is a deadly night hunter for this reason. If the a10 could be
fitted with decent thermal, hyperspectral, or camera systems it would be the
deadliest ground attack aircraft in the US Arsenal.

Everyone likes the dog on the F-35, but it is important aircraft. The thing
that sets it apart is it sensor array. There is no other attack fighter like
it, even the F-22.

My final thought is that the Air Force should hand off close air support to
another branch of the military, or create a separate branch altogether. They
hate the job, and it's not sexy in the Air Force to be a close air support
pilot.

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Z1nfandel
Umm, A-10s have flown for a long time with FLIR. They don't have it natively,
but they always use their targeting pods. See SNIPER or LITENING pod. My
pilots did night missions all the damn time. The trouble with the A-10s isn't
just the engines, its the airframes themselves are getting old. They are
heavily stressed through years of use, their hydraulic systems are a nightmare
to maintain, and so on.

[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sniper_Advanced_Targeting_Pod](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sniper_Advanced_Targeting_Pod)
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LITENING](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LITENING)

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trhway
the role of F-35 in those missions as described - staying high, coordinating
the mission, can be done by stealth drone like X-47B and similar. After
reading the article i got the impression that they aren't able to replace A-10
in those CSAR missions too. Mentioned some limited success with F-15/16
instead of A-10 reminds about attempts in recent Russia/Ukraine war on Donbass
to use MiG-29 fighters (same gen as F-15/16) for ground attacks when Ukraine's
fleet of Su-25 ground attack planes got depleted. The MiG-s, while being a
good fighter plane, were easily shot down in ground attack missions - nobody
can run high speed at low altitudes and not having armor is a strong weakness
when low&slow - while also not being very effective because they lack good
powerful auto-cannon (attempts to use intensively even moderate 20mm actually
bends the frame :).

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sickbeard
I wouldn't presume to know all the details of what is required for CSAR
missions to make a blanket statement like "an unarmed drone" can do it. If the
evaluators think the F-35 does it well then so be it. We can't fly a-10s
forever.

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exabrial
In non-contested airspace, its spotting individual enemy troops, their
positions, and where the good guys are. You have to relay all of that to the
rescue helicopter and guide them around enemy fire or call them off if
individual troops approach yhe landing zone.

It doesn't surprise me to see the F-35 do so well with its extremely advanced
sensor systems. A10 pilots do the same thing with their eyes and getting low
to the ground.

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sickbeard
The advantage for the F-35 is it's a multi-role aircraft. There's likely one
to be around capable of performing a CSAR without waiting for an CSAR specific
plane to be on station. With it's stealth capabilities, advanced sensors and
ability to drop bombs and launch missiles it's seems to be the logical
replacement for the aging a-10.

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exabrial
You don't need stealth to do CAS. Nor radar. Nor A2A missiles. A simple gun
will do just fine.

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smegel
Combine them, at twice the cost!

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mtgx
War is boring? Is this some propaganda arm of the Pentagon?

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handedness
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Axe](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Axe)

