Hawg Slaughter

Part of Obama's Pentagon leadership's attempt to cut an incredible amount out of the defense budget has resulted in a horrendous decision to retire a third of our A-10 force.

Tha A-10 has been, arguably, our most important and effective fixed wing weapon since 9/11.  It has been indispensible during Iraq and Afghanistan, providing Close Air Support for troops on the ground.  In fact, there has been an A-10 squadron based (on a rotational basis) in Afghanistan constantly since the Taliban was originally defeated.

The A-10 is perfectly suited to such mission, its tremendous weaponry, ability to loiter over the battlefield, and redundant systems that allow it to survive battle damage that would bring down other aircraft have meant it has been a constant presence for our forces in conflict.

There are currently 348 operational A-10s, about half of those that were originally produced back in the 70s and early 80s.  Almost all of the survivors have recently been upgraded to the latest standard, the A-10C.  That, combined with a re-wing project that has just started, was projected to keep the force combat effective until 2040.

Obama's puppets in the Pentagon have decided that five squadrons currently flying the A-10 will be dissolved, and their 102 A-10Cs will be retired to the boneyard.  This will leave 246 A-10s operational.  Work to take down these squadrons has already begun, and all five are to be gone by the end of this year.  The victims are:

47th Fighter Squadron, Air Force Reserve, Barksdale AFB LA
81st Fighter Squadron, USAF, Spangdahlem AB, Germany
107th Fighter Squadron, MI ANG, Selfridge ANGB MI
184th Fighter Squadron, AR ANG, Ft. Smith AR
163rd Fighter Squadron, IN ANG, Ft. Wayne IN

The Arkansas Guard A-10s are currently deployed to Afghanistan.  When they get back, they shut down, aircraft are sent to the boneyard, and people are fired.

This represents a huge loss for the Air Force in terms of capability and experienced personnel.  It is, to be blunt, a stupid decision.

Supposedly, this action is being taken to help preserve funds for the golden goose, the F-35.  There is no replacement for the A-10 on the books, or even being considered.  F-35 proponents will try to tell you that it will replace the Hawg, but that is bullshit.  The F-35, if it is ever built in sufficient numbers, will not be capable to performing the A-10's mission.

Hopefully, a change in the US administration will lead to at least a partial reversal of this action.  It will have to take place quickly, for once the units are shut down and the aircraft are processed into desert storage, it will be too late.

Dyess AFB Heritage Flight

I participated in the Heritage Flight at Dyess AFB this past weekend, again with Tarheel Hal.  The P-47 flew with an A-10C Thunderbolt II from Davis-Monthan AFB.  It was very cool, seeing the two generations of Thunderbolts flying in front of the crowd together.

It's a Hawg's Life

The Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbotl II was designed in the early '70s to meet a USAF requirement for a tank killing close air support aircraft. It's primary purpose was to defeat the anticipated Soviet tank attack that would come through Germany, should war ever break out.

The A-10 was designed around it's huge 30mm GAU-8 Gatling gun. Firing rounds of depeleted uranium at 2,000 or 4,000 rounds per minute, this awesome weapon was capable of chewing up a tank in short order. 11 weapons hardpoints allow the aircraft to carry a massive amount of varied ordanance.

The A-10 almost immediately gained the nickname 'Warthog' due ito its ungainly appearance. Indeed, few actually refer to the jet as Thunderbolt, most folks just call it 'The Hawg'.

Equipped with twin tails, twin engines, multiple redundant controls, and an armored titanium coccoon around the pilot, the Hawg was designed to take a lot of punishment and get its pilot back home. It is not a fast jet, max speed is about 450mph, but it is highly manueverable, and quiet. Most of its work is done at low level.

Production was 707 airframes, not counting pre-production, buiilt from 1975 to 1982.

With the end of the cold war, many in the Air Force pushed for the retirement of the A-10, saying it was redundant. Some of the earlier airframes started going to the boneyard in the late '80s. It's reprieve came in the form of Desert Storm.

DS operations showed that the A-10 was far from obsolete. It destroyed hundreds of Iraqi tanks and vehicles. 18 A-10s were hit by enemy fire, 4 of which were downed. 2 more A-10s were lost in landing accidents. More than 1 A-10 brought its pilot home after taking significant damage.

The post DS force drawdown initiated by Clinton saw the A-10 active duty force hit hard, with several wings being deactivated. The A-10, however, continued to prove its worth over Bosnia. It has been a critical component of the Global War on Terror, and its presence over Iraq and Afghanistan has been constant since our forces liberated those countries.

Today, about half of the A-10s built are still flying. The majority have been through multiple upgrades and service life extensions that will keep them active for at least another 15 years. While the F-22 and F-35 are set to replace the F-15 and F-16, there is no replacement on the boards for the A-10.

Once the stepchild of the pointy-end fighter Air Force, the 'Hawg continues to prove its worth, and will outlive the jets that came after it - the very ones that were supposed to have made it obsolete.

Lone Star Flight Museum's P-47D Thunderbolt "Tarheel Hal' sitting besides its namesake, A-10A Thunderbolt II 79-0147, 47FS 917WG, at the Hawg's home base of Barksdale AFB. Photo by yours truly.