Although the caption of the following picture reads “more than a dozen A-10 Thunderbolt….” I can count 19 such combat planes belonging to the 354 FS, 355th Fighter Wing from Davis Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona at Westover Air Reserve Base.
Westover airfield, in Massachusetts, has long runways, ample ramp space (to accomodate C-5 Galaxy cargo planes) that make it an ideal stop for combat units on their way overseas.
The aircraft passed through Westover on their way to the Middle East. Once again, although their final destination is (currently) unknown, they are believed to be part of the U.S. military build up in the area near Syria, Iran, Libya and Northern Mali.
The A-10 is the ideal type of aircraft to perform close air support (CAS) by attacking tanks and armored vehicles. The deployment of this kind of aircraft, along with the unusual presence of AC-130U gunships, special operations helicopters, drones and tankers could be the sign that something big is going to take place in the coming weeks…
Update: according to the latest rumors the “Hogs” are on their way to Afghanistan, where they would replace the current mix of ANG A-10s of the 104th and 184th FS deployed there since March.
Image credit: U.S. Air Force
Dear Neil O’Higgins,
Stop being silly.
Of course it could kill fathers, mothers, men women and children. It could also kill cows, anteaters and ducks. It also deploys and enacts foreign policy, when nation-states are threatened, by whomsoever decides to threaten your utopian ideal. Your asanine argument is as logical as banning alcohol, tobacco, and food with fat or sugar in it, all of which kills a lot more people then this weapon system.
It is a weapons platform, it does kill people, no-one says it’s pretty, but people in the real world accept its regrettable existance. Go and form a cogent argument, then come back.
And learn to punctuate.
not worth replying to
a poor argument and sarcastic – !!! – still, made me smile, I must have touched a nerve –
Not worth replying to, or unable to reply? By the continued absence of a cogent argument, the null hypothesis is proven, and you still can’t punctuate, or indeed, it would appear, reason.
Stick to nursing; a fine an honourable profession.. Be thankful there are people with conviction and courage in abundance who will make all those ‘awkward’ decisions on your behalf, protecting your free-speech so you can carry on whining.
Great for use against Third World armies (i.e. NVA as originally designed, or Iran as now intended) but pretty useless against any modern army equipped with the most basic man-portable SAM. But great if they stand still & don’t react I suppose.
thank you all for your comments – I suppose if we were all the same, if we all believed that no-one should hold different opinions to our own, if everyone became angry and sarcastic, there would be no democracy……and no debate. Some of you put very succinct arguments without getting petty and without bully-boy language. Whereas one, only one, displayed civilian stupidity – did I punctuate properly?
Hehheh