R.I.P. A-10 Warthog

[OakRidgeStars]

Goodbye to the ugliest flying cannon the U.S. Military has ever seen. No doubt she'll be sorely missed.

http://americanmilitarynews.com/2013/09 ... 0-warthog/

[CalebDor]

Ahhhhh say it isn't so ;-(. It was slow, ugly, armed to the teeth and made an unmistakable scream when it flew over your position. A-10's were an infantryman's best friend in the sky during the first Gulf war. As a soldier in the 101st I remember flying over T-72's thinking they must have been hit by artillery fire. I'll never forget the door gunner saying "Nah,see all those chunks of metal around the chassis? That's what 60 or so 30mm depleted uranium rounds from an A-10 do to tank armor...."

I get progress and all but that plane will be missed.

[FiremanBob]

What will replace it? Will it work better at this critical mission? If not, I guess it is all about the money, but that isn't how our military is supposed to work.

I bet the Muslim outreach and other PC programs aren't cut by the sequester.

[widefat]

Always was my favorite.....

[GeneFrenkle]

Definitely a plane with charisma. Sad it is being retired.

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[SpanishInquisition]

Like the F-22 or F-35 can do this mission? LOL

Damn shame to see the old beast join the wobbly goblin in retirement, but I have learned to expect nothing reasonable out of the current administration.

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[grumpyMSG]

The AF Generals have been trying to get rid of it for 20 years. It isn't supersonic, it is not stealthy, it is not sexy and it would probably cost the equivalent of 10-20 of the AF's F35 fleet to keep the couple of hundred of them in the air for the next 20 years. There isn't a replacement for it. Like the A7 Corsair II 20 years ago, it will be "replaced" by a far less capable aircraft. I remember seeing an AF General stating how they could be replaced in Afghanistan by B52s armed with smart bombs. I guess having aircraft flying out of a reasonably close base allowing reasonably quick refueling and re-arming and pilot change out would be far less efficient than having a huge aircraft flying from half a world away with multiple crew members

[Reverenddel]

I love this plane! It's ugly, slow, but hits HARD!

Sorta like me. HAHAHAH

The most memorable thing? Putting my thumb into the barrel at an air show... then thinking "Crissakes! You dump a ton of hot lead THAT size on ANYONE! Makes their day different."

[FiremanBob]

So it isn't pretty enough for the golf-playing, tea-sipping AF generals, but there is nothing so effective at close troop support. Why not transfer the fleet to the Army and have Army pilots fly it?

[GeneFrenkle]

It isn't supersonic

Agreed, but it doesn't need to be. It's the brainchild of some drunk engineers sitting in a bar saying, "Hey... I wonder if we can strap wings and a big engine on a massive gatling gun, armor it up, and fly it!"

it is not stealthy

Agreed, but it doesn't need to be. See the drunk engineers notion from above.

it is not sexy

Disagree, but that's not needed to be successful. The marketing folks were drunk, too, apparently.

it would probably cost the equivalent of 10-20 of the AF's F35 fleet to keep the couple of hundred of them in the air for the next 20 years

Agreed, but the F35 doesn't have the same morale hit or boost the sound a Warthog produces as it introduces itself to a conflict. The impact upon morale is hard to quantify.

[darkstar3d]

We called it the hog because it's appetite for enemy tanks was tremendous! Glad I'm retired.

[KaosDad]

The Warthog, The Tomcat, the Battleship . . .

[steelheart]

Yeah sure replace another machine that could whoop a++ with something that if a fuse burns out the pilots up s++t creek! Warthog- tank killing nightmare! F-14 tomcat-track 14 targets n kill 7 guaranteed! The iconic battleship- lay in tons of shells while our guys watch n play poker safely outta the way! Yea thats progress!! Rotten bastards!!!

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[PhantomPhixer]

Hmm, a wise governor might appropriate funds for the purchase of large numbers of these, at surplus prices. To boost his Guard / Militia capabilities.

Just sayin'.....

[SpanishInquisition]

PhantomPhixer, you've been reading Daniel DaCruz, ain't ya?

[PhantomPhixer]

Some author? Maybe I'd like him.

[dusterdude]

Without rule changes army cant fly fixed wing aircraft

[RWBlue01]

I wonder if they would sell them.

[SHMIV]

You guys think that's an ugly plane? I like it. It has a very unique appearance.

Near as I can tell, that thing does exactly what it's designed to do, and does it well. Shame that they want to get rid of it.

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[Jakeiscrazy]

The last plane to to be built around a gun.... Sad to see it go...