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Air Force Tests Two Turboprops as Potential A-10 “Replacements”

posted by Fnord666 on Wednesday June 20 2018, @06:37AM   Printer-friendly
from the here-we-go-again dept.

Arthur T Knackerbracket has found the following story:

The US Air Force has kicked off the procurement for another round of wing replacements for A-10 Thunderbolt II attack aircraft, known affectionately by many as the Warthog. With new wings, the A-10s will help fill a gap left by the delayed volume delivery of F-35A fighters, which were intended to take over the A-10's close air support (CAS) role in "contested environments"—places where enemy aircraft or modern air defenses would pose a threat to supporting aircraft. For now, the A-10 is being used largely in uncontested environments, where the greatest danger pilots face is small arms fire or possibly a Stinger-like man-portable air defense system (MANPADS) missile. But the Warthog is also being deployed to Eastern Europe as part of the NATO show of strength in response to Russia.

While the A-10 will keep flying through 2025 under current plans, Air Force leadership has perceived (or was perhaps convinced to see) a need for an aircraft that could take over the A-10's role in low-intensity and uncontested environments—something relatively inexpensive and easy to maintain that could be flown from relatively unimproved airfields to conduct armed reconnaissance, interdiction, and close air support missions. The replacement would also double as advanced trainer aircraft for performing weapons qualifications and keeping pilots' flight-time numbers up.

So, last year the Air Force kicked off the Light Attack Experiment (OA-X), a four-aircraft competition to determine what would best fit that bill.

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  • (Score: 2) by meustrus on Wednesday June 20 2018, @02:46PM (2 children)

    by meustrus (4961) on Wednesday June 20 2018, @02:46PM (#695598)

    something relatively inexpensive and easy to maintain that could be flown from relatively unimproved airfields to conduct armed reconnaissance, interdiction, and close air support missions.

    Sounds like the ideal plane would have minimal or no electronics, with maintenance needs designed for a limited industrial economy, proven to be cheap, reliable, and effective over a number of years. In other words, an old design from a time when we actually operated in contested airspace. Probably something that flew in Vietnam. I wonder what aircraft fits that description...

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  • (Score: 2) by JoeMerchant on Wednesday June 20 2018, @03:13PM (1 child)

    by JoeMerchant (3937) on Wednesday June 20 2018, @03:13PM (#695612)

    Probably something that flew in Vietnam. I wonder what aircraft fits that description...

    Not the F4... that was one design that definitely was better off retired - great in its day, but awful.

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    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday June 20 2018, @04:14PM

      by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday June 20 2018, @04:14PM (#695637)

      A-1 Skyraider