The U.S. Air Force has launched a study to find the A-10 Thunderbolt II replacement.
Given the U.S. Air Force plan to retire its A-10 fleet in 2022, the service has recently announced that has launched a study aimed to find a Hog replacement in the close air support (CAS) role.
Finding a replacement for the Warthog will be indeed a difficult task: in fact even if the CAS mission has been handled by several other tactical aircraft (such the F-16) in the recent years, the A-10 ability to loiter over the battlefield remains unrivaled.
But since the USAF is looking for an aircraft able to perform counterterrorism operations rather than one able to destroy tanks and armoured vehicles, as explained by Flight Global, several platforms might be up for the role.
One aircraft that could fulfill the mission is the Embraer A-29 Super Tucano. Recently delivered to the reborn Afghan Air Force and already in service with other ten air arms around the world, this propeller-driven aeroplane is a valuable close air support platform thanks to the chance to outfit its airframe with a wide variety of bombs and machine guns.
Another turboprop plane that could be chosen to replace the A-10 is the Beechcraft AT-6.
This aircraft is a derivative of the USAF T-6 Texan II trainer tailored for the CAS role: in fact, like the Super Tucano, the AT-6 can carry a wide variety of weapons under its wings.
Moreover both the aircraft can be armed with the Raytheon AGM-176 Griffin missile. Designed around a small warhead, this weapon is a precision low-collateral damage missile that makes the A-29 and the AT-6 very effective also in irregular warfare scenarios.
The Textron AirLand Scorpion could perform the CAS mission too. The Scorpion as A-10 replacement would offer high-end capabilities: in fact this plane is not only a tactical strike aircraft for irregular warfare, border and maritime patrol but also an ISR (intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance) platform able to perform air defense operations.
However, although these aircraft are highly maneuverable weapon systems capable of delivering precision guided munitions in a low intensity conflict, none of them could survive in a less permissive environment, USAF deputy chief of staff for strategic plans and requirements Lt Gen James Holmes explained on Mar. 8, 2016.
Holmes said that the T-X advanced trainer program contenders will not be suitable since they will not be ready until 2024.
Holmes also explained that using the F-35 in the A-10 role would be too expensive.
Nevertheless replacing the A-10 with the JSF seems being the answer to the problem for Secretary of Defense Ash Carter who, on Feb. 2 announced: “The budget defers the A-10’s final retirement until 2022, replacing it with the F-35 Joint Strike Fighters on a squadron-by-squadron basis, so we’ll always have enough aircraft for today conflicts.”
Eventually, given the F-35 vulnerability over the battlefield in the CAS role in addition to its high operating costs, the best solution could be to postpone again the retirement of the A-10 fleet and beginning the process of developing a dedicated CAS platform to replace the Hog.
An opinion shared also by the former A-10 squadron commander and current U.S. Congresswoman Martha McSally who told to NationalInterest.com: “The U.S. Air Force needs a next-generation A-10 before attempting to mothball any further A-10s. The specific mission set for CAS/FAC-A/CSAR requires a specific aircraft, not one that is a jack-of-all-trades but a master of none.”
Image credit: Airman 1st Class Chris Massey / U.S. Air Force and Textron AirLand
veej, there are no A-1Skyraiders to dust off.
Mook, the answer might be to scrap the Key West Agreement and give the A-10s to the Army and Marine Corps. Seeing “U.S. Army” on an A-10 would do this old soldiers heart good!
A-10 is a 1970’s era aircraft so what, the B-52 remains very effective and it first flew in 1952. The A-10 was designed in part from the experience and advice of Colonel Hans-Ulrich Rudel a Luffwaffe military aviator during WW2. Colonel Rubel is to this day the king of aerial tank killers credited with 519 tank kills on the eastern front. He did it with a Junkers Ju-87 that was fitted with Bofors 40mm cannon on each wing. He advice was low and slow is the key. You can’t hit it if you fly to fast or to high. The only other type of aircraft that can do the close support mission is an attack helicopter and they are even more susceptible to ground fire then an A10 that is designed to take it.
So are F-15s. Grow up or grow smart.
great! are they going to design the new airframe around the same gun, because if the intent is to downsize, then dont even bother wasting ur breath….what ever is selected or designed must provide the same if not better combat CAS performance as the current CAS system that exist in the A10. The Air Force leadership & supporters intent on shit-canning the A10 have no idea or appreciation for the need we in the Army or Marines no matter, Infantry, Special Operations, or anyone on the recieving end of unfriendly fire have in the A10.
It is ideally suited for an obsolete roll. You can call it ‘vital’ all you want but that doesn’t make it so. You guys really need to understand this simple fact: the A-10 was designed to perform a role that is becoming less and less necessary each year that passes. As a matter of fact, the Warthog currently performs an overwhelming majority of its CAS from altitude, just like the F-16 (the current CAS workhorse) does and the F-35 will do.
The A-10 was designed when military tactics required that someone behave as cannon fodder, hence its titanium armor around the cockpit. The role required cannon fodder, and we tried to design a plane that would reduce the risk to the pilot of this critical, yet now obsolete, role. We do not need to send pilots on what were practically suicide missions anymore. We have cruise missiles for that. We do not need a tank killer anymore, as even tanks are becoming increasingly obsolete on the modern battlefield.
In much the same way battleships became obsolete after WWII, due to the introduction of submarines, tanks are becoming obsolete due to cruise missiles and advanced MANPADs that soldiers can fire and forget now. It doesn’t make sense to spend the time, money, or resources to produce something which is easily put out of the battle by an enemy.
You guys need to give up on the A-10. It was designed for the type of warfare that simply does not happen anymore. I mean let’s be honest… the only reason half of you like it is because when its cannon fires it gives you a hard on.
After recent advancements in tank protection like T-14, manpads are no longer effective enough against tanks. Fast armoured vehicles still plays and will play a crucial role in counter attacks, even in the future.
A-10 should still be maintained because most of the wars currently and still in the future will be fought in 3rd world countries like Syria. There are no AA defences there. Since it is extremely cheap, it is very useful.
“There are no AA defences there.” In Syria? You sure about that, sir?