John Q Public is to the Air Force what SSD is to PEO Soldier. He’s been taking a hard look at the Air Force’s most recent efforts to mothball the A10 and dismantle its Close Air Support capability by hosting a CAS summit. Read his latest installment here.
Tags: John Q Public
Here’s an idea–transfer all A-10s from ACC or (ACC-gained) to AFSOC. I agree the A-10 is the premier CAS platform. I also tend to side with Big Air Force that it may not be survivable in a heavy A2/AD conflict. It is definitely suited for COIN and low intensity conflicts–the sort that USSOCOM often are involved in. The original Air Commandos in Burma flew P-51s to provide CAS for the Chindits. And the Air Commandos in Vietnam flew a lot of “obsolete” piston-engined aircraft: Skyraiders, A-26s. If AC-130s can rest in AFSOC, A-10s can too.
It’s a great idea, you just have to convince SOCOM that it’s a SOF mission. If it were to happen I can assure you that they wouldn’t take the entire fleet, and they would be used to support SOF missions just like the AC 130
Go the old proven route. Politicians tell the Air Force that the Army will take them. Makes more sense.
The Army doesn’t want them.
Yes I do, but I also want the mission set funds which the Air Force won’t give up.
US Army is correct, I’n sure the Army would love to have them if the Air Force were willing to amend the Key West Agreements as well as allocate the personnel and funding for the A-10 to them as well. Same with the Corps I’m sure, minus the part about Key West, although the fact that it’s not carrier capable is a bit of an issue as well.