Back to Squawk list
  • 16

Boeing to Air Force: Can we sell those retired A-10s to Saudi Arabia?

제출됨
 
Boeing Vice President Chris Raymond confirmed that since the Air Force wants to rid itself of the A-10, Boeing is looking to sell the aircraft to U.S. allies like Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates at the Paris Air Show Tuesday. (thelibertarianrepublic.com) 기타...

Sort type: [Top] [Newest]


jdriskell
The air force has never gotten the A-10 program right!! First the brass tried to dump the aircraft in the late 80s but thankfully the A-10 was still in the inventory when the first gulf war kicked off. The statistics reflect they they performed beyond anyone's expectations. Again in the second shindig in the same area in the 2000s not to mention their role in Afghanistan over the pas years. NOTHING does the job better. Instead of selling off the the A-10, the air force should be required to continuously maintain and upgrade them. In fact, maybe it's time that the air forces procurement authority be completely re-evaluated. Although the air force will never admit it, one of their only reasons for existence is to support some pour grunt in the mud on the ground and the A-10 does it best. If the air force doesn't want them, reduce their mission and give the assets to the Army or Marine Corps. They both know the value of good CAS!!!
jdriskell
You obviously don't remember that the air force has tried to dump the A-10 since the late 1980s. This latest move is not a reflection of the current administration!
cm5299
Chuck Me 1
Many use this place to turn anything into a political rant. Even if their rant flies in face of reality.
jdriskell
Couldn't agree more. As Abraham Lincoln said, "Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt".

[This comment has been downvoted. Show anyway.]

canuck44
canuck44 7
Hopefully Congress will require the Air Force to maintain them until 2017 when the Commander in Chief is likely to be someone with more qualifications than a community organizer supported by political puppets rather than warriors. A SECDEF with some military experience is most likely to have a much harder look at the needs of the ground forces.

If we are to sell them, Israel should be offered them first although the Israelis and the Saudis are moving closer in opposition to Iran.
btweston
btweston -5
Wow. Talk about puppets... Did Sarah Palin tell you to say that?

[This comment was deleted.]

Taurcan
You musta been looking in the mirror when you made your post. Think militry solutions rather than political.
cm5299
Chuck Me 1
Seriously. And you know the "It's all Obama'f fault!" crowd eats that crap up.

Forget the fact it's the Air Force that doesn't want the plane anymore. Ignore the fact it's Congress who insists on keeping it around. Let's blame the guy we don't like who had little (if anything at all) to do with the decision.
BSJ
The only reason the A10 is useful in today’s combat environment is because the enemy doesn’t have many MANPADS.

The Russian’s were in the same position, with their Hinds, when they invaded Afghanistan. The Afghans were defenceless against the Hind until Reagan gave the locals Stinger missiles. It turned the war.

All it would take to end the A10’s tactical advantage that it has now, is for the Putin to do the same thing to us…
jdriskell
The A-10 does rather well in a high threat environment because it can absorb lots of damage but still get the pilot home and often fly another day. William L. Smallwood's book, "Warthog, Flying the A-10 in the Gulf War" gives a vivid picture of what it's like to operate an A-10 in a very intense conflict that came with lots of surface-to-air threats. In fact, the Hog operating as a RFOA10G (read the book) had more success using HARMs than the Wild Weasels during the first gulf war.
canuck44
canuck44 1
I don't think this is a political decision but one centered on the bureaucracy that remains in place no matter who is officially elected. They have their own agenda and draw the budgets up to maximize their own condition and to maintain power. Those that point out that the Air Force has tried to kill the program for years dating well back into Bush's time are entirely correct.

Politics has only intervened from Congress where the A-10 and the grunts have supporters on both sides of the aisle. Note that neither Democrat nor Republican leadership have tried to interfere when supportive members kill the Air Force plans and have gone along with committee recommendations.

Peter is right....the program is bought and paid for...the lobby wants money for the F-35 and the Administrators are looking at it as a second pension program.

[This comment has been downvoted. Show anyway.]

avihais
You will never get a job in the government, congress or Whitehouse making sensible statements like that.
btweston
btweston 1
No, you never actually explained why anyone wants that. What are you talking about, exactly?

로그인

계정을 가지고 계십니까? 사용자 정의된 기능, 비행 경보 및 더 많은 정보를 위해 지금(무료) 등록하세요!
FlightAware 항공편 추적이 광고로 지원된다는 것을 알고 계셨습니까?
FlightAware.com의 광고를 허용하면 FlightAware를 무료로 유지할 수 있습니다. Flightaware에서는 훌륭한 경험을 제공할 수 있도록 관련성있고 방해되지 않는 광고를 유지하기 위해 열심히 노력하고 있습니다. FlightAware에서 간단히 광고를 허용 하거나 프리미엄 계정을 고려해 보십시오..
종료