A sad day for the soldier/seaman/airman on the ground.... (A-10/CAS Discussion)

NavyBuyer said:
Not disagreeing, but if that's what you are proposing as a fix, as more and more countries have surface to sea missiles, then you are going to need to change Marine Corps doctrine.
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I'm sure you're much more up-to-date on Marine Corps doctrine than I am, bro. I took part in three amphib assault exercises, one in open landing craft, one in amtracs and the third a vertical envelopment in 46s from a flight deck. It's hard for me to imagine heading in for a frontal beach assault against the kind of weapons a technologically modern enemy would possess.
 
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TLDR20 said:
Watch: F-35 Air Force Pilot Compares the Lightning II vs F-16, F-22 and A-10 | Fighter Sweep

From someone who flies the new platform...
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I liked this. it does not appear to be a formal interview, but more of a Q&A from foreign pilots who were interested in the aircraft. (looks like he just got done flying)

Knowing no more than what the video showed, my perception is that the pilot likes flying the F-35 and considers it a very important tool in our air inventory. He also discusses the reality of needing a multi-purpose jet, as having mission specific jets is just not going to happen based on cost.

He referenced the A-10, and tried to dispel the myth that only the Warthog can give effective CAS. The comments did not seem to come from a place of envy or jealousy, but more from a true belief.

A good find.
 
I think air superiority will not be a realistic goal in the future because of the proliferation of near-peer aircraft and advanced anti-air weapons. Instead you may achieve "air control" similar to sea control for a particular area for a defined and finite period of time until you destroy your enemy's Air Force.
 
Ooh-Rah said:
I liked this. it does not appear to be a formal interview, but more of a Q&A from foreign pilots who were interested in the aircraft. (looks like he just got done flying)

Knowing no more than what the video showed, my perception is that the pilot likes flying the F-35 and considers it a very important tool in our air inventory. He also discusses the reality of needing a multi-purpose jet, as having mission specific jets is just not going to happen based on cost.

He referenced the A-10, and tried to dispel the myth that only the Warthog can give effective CAS. The comments did not seem to come from a place of envy or jealousy, but more from a true belief.

A good find.
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And yet, he says the A10 and the F22 are better at what they do than the F35. My take on this is "consider the source." He's a serving officer, he's flying a new (and much criticized platform), he's expected to help sell the package and he's not about to go on camera and say anything negative about the aircraft.
 
Teufel said:
I think air superiority will not be a realistic goal in the future because of the proliferation of near-peer aircraft and advanced anti-air weapons. Instead you may achieve "air control" similar to sea control for a particular area for a defined and finite period of time until you destroy your enemy's Air Force.
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Just a few years ago, dog fighting with guns was supposedly going to be making a comeback. The reason cited was aircraft counter measures and stealth technology would render them near impervious to guided weapons. I wonder where that argument stands today.
 
Etype said:
Just a few years ago, dog fighting with guns was supposedly going to be making a comeback. The reason cited was aircraft counter measures and stealth technology would render them near impervious to guided weapons. I wonder where that argument stands today.
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The invention of the nuclear bomb was supposed to render ground combat irrelevant. It didn't. Warfare is a game of move and counter-move. The British found it difficult to conduct visual targeting during strategic bombing missions during WWII. They developed targeting methods using radio waves. The Germans learned to jam them. We use GPS targeting in the modern era. This can also be jammed or corrupted. The F22 is currently a peerless 5th generation fighter. China, India, Russian and Japan are currently developing 5th generation fighters of their own. It is only a matter of time before the US is no longer a generation ahead of our competitors. Development of advanced fighters will also help our potential enemies innovate weapons to defeat them.

The Tiger tank was once peerless. It isn't anymore.
 
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DA SWO said:
Until they get jammed and crash requiring manned aircraft to do the job.
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Right...for now. But 15-20 years down the road?

I mean the Wright Brothers flew less than the length of two football fields in 1903. Sixteen years later a Curtiss NC4 goes Transatlantic. Some biplanes were still being flown operationally by Western militaries in 1939-40. A few years later the Germans are flying jets. My point being that in aviation a lot happens technologically within a short span of time.

So as the designs improve and evolve, I see UAVs eventually taking over more missions that are presently handled by manned ACs. I can even see them doing limited CAS, perhaps controlled by the units in contact. I also think eventually UAV designs will even incorporate big frame platforms for cargo capabilities.
 
Ocoka One said:
Right...for now. But 15-20 years down the road?

I mean the Wright Brothers flew less than the length of two football fields in 1903. Sixteen years later a Curtiss NC4 goes Transatlantic. Some biplanes were still being flown operationally by Western militaries in 1939-40. A few years later the Germans are flying jets. My point being that in aviation a lot happens technologically within a short span of time.

So as the designs improve and evolve, I see UAVs eventually taking over more missions that are presently handled by manned ACs. I can even see them doing limited CAS, perhaps controlled by the units in contact. I also think eventually UAV designs will even incorporate big frame platforms for cargo capabilities.
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So, they already do CAS. They do Air Interdiction. They do a new mission called Kinetic Strike, which is what we're calling it when a JTAC is controlling a strike that not's CAS and not AI. Think a JTAC sitting with his team, or in a JOC, well away from the dude being targeted. Drones are good at it, very good. They can follow a guy for a long time, confirm all sorts of identifiers, do some other things, and rifle off a Hellfire.

The issue with the future fight is the A2/AD discussion. Drones are highly susceptible to being jammed, or shot down. If drones start to proliferate, so will cheaper surface to air threats designed to shoot them down at a low cost. They have no protection capability, and no maneuverability. Drone swarms have been talked about, but that is a long ways off.

We need all the pieces of our puzzle. Drones are great for some things, and terrible for others.
 
Here's another good article on the F-35. I agree, after actually working these a couple times, that they bring a lot to the fight. There's nothing else out there that can fuse sensors and intelligence like this aircraft. That being said, in my experience, they are most effective in flying alongside A-10s, not replacing them. A two-ship of F-35s and 4x A-10s can do a massive amount of damage to a large enemy, even one arrayed in geographically separated locations.

'One our adversaries should fear': US Air Force General describes how the F-35 is above and beyond the competition
 
ThunderHorse said:
Wow, misread that...that's not worth it in my opinion.
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For a plane that can stay airborne over a target, undetected for a day+? Maybe.

The global hawk is an amazing machine. Far exceeding the limits a human pilot could achieve. As an aviator myself, though at a lowly level, I hate to see pilots losing jobs. But even on the civil side we aren't far removed from total automation.
 

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