From Defense News:
USAF Vice Chief: ISIS, Russia Prompted Reconsideration of A-10 Retirement
The spread of the Islamic State group and a resurgent Russia have prompted the US Air Force to reconsider immediate plans to retire the A-10 Warthog, according to a top service official.
In an exclusive television interview on the Jan. 24 broadcast of Defense News with Vago Muradian, Air Force Vice Chief of Staff Gen. David Goldfein said when the service decided to begin sunsetting the A-10, the global threat environment looked very different. The A-10’s retirement plan — unveiled in the fiscal year 2015 budget request — was developed before the rise of IS and before Russia’s aggressive moves in Eastern Europe, he said.
A bit more:
The service had hoped to decommission the A-10 fleet in part to move maintenance crews over to the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, planned to replace all of the Air Force’s fighter planes. But capacity, especially in the face of increased demand in the Middle East, is a concern for the Air Force right now, Carlisle said.
Good news - the F-35 was designed by a committee and seriously under-performs its competition. It should be axed.
Here is a video of the A-10 firing its Gatling gun at a Nevada test range.
Like the SR-71 Blackbird, the A-10 is an example of form following function - a gorgeous aircraft.
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