If this image is as described in the USAF release, active in OIR, I'm
wondering about the Sidewinders - are they expecting aerial
opposition? ...Russians?
On 14 Jul 2017 06:47:25 -0700, Miloch <Miloch_member@newsguy.com>
wrote:
>more at
>http://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/12419/the-best-hog-is-a-filthy-hog-if-usaf-had-its-way-this-jet-wouldnt-be-devouring-isis
>
>This awesome shot, showing a A-10C Warthog bristling with a diverse array of
>weaponry, and its belly a sooted and greasy mess from continued firing of its
>GAU-8 Avenger 30mm cannon, is a reminder of just how relevant this aircraft
>still is today. And if the USAF had its way years ago, it wouldn't have had the
>chance to prove that it can be among the most deadly platforms when it comes to
>tearing apart Islamic State fighters and their material in Iraq and Syria, and
>it has been very busy doing just that.
>
>Seen under its wings from right to left are a pair of AIM-9M Sidewinders, a
>AN/AAQ-28 LITENING targeting pod, a 500lb GBU-12 laser guided bomb, a 500lb
>GBU-54 Laser JDAM, a 2,000lb GBU-31 JDAM, a AGM-65 Maverick air-to-ground
>missile, a LAU-131 2.75 inch rocket pod with seven rockets (or laser guided
>rockets), and another GBU-12 to round out the load-out. Of course, there's also
>the big drum of ammunition we can't see that holds 1,174 rounds of coke
>bottle-sized PGU-14 armored piercing incendiary or PGU-13 explosive incendiary
>ammunition. For ripping up the Islamic State, the PGU-13 is the flavor of
>choice.
>
>The inclusion of the 2,000lb JDAM in this load-out is somewhat rare, but we have
>seen it before in the Iraq and Syria area of operations. Overall, this mix of
>weapons is a reminder of how versatile the Warthog is, as it gives the jet the
>flexibility to take out everything from moving heavy armor, such as tanks, to
>large strategic structures, such as multi-story buildings, to small groups of
>combatants or even a single ISIS member riding a moped. Additionally, it can
>attack targets in any weather as the JDAMs don't require laser designation to
>hit fixed targets. But even then, the A-10 can usually get down below the muck
>in most instances and bring its rockets, Avenger cannon and Mavericks to bear on
>
>The nearly orphaned A-10 fleet has been only second to the F-15E fleet when it
>comes to releasing the most weapons on ISIS from on high. Military.com's report
>from June states:
>
>"Here are the figures for the 10 types of U.S. aircraft flying combat sorties:
>F-15E Strike Eagle, 14,995 weapons released; A-10 Thunderbolt II, 13,856; B-1
>Lancer, 9,195; F/A-18 Super Hornets, 8,920; F-16 Fighting Falcon, 7,679; B-52
>Stratofortress, 5,041; MQ-1 Predator drone, 2,274; MQ-9 Reaper, 2,188; AV-8B,
>1,650; and F-22, 1,535.
>
>Broken down by aircraft type, fighter and attack planes dropped a total of
>48,635 weapons, or 72 percent of the total; bombers released 14,236, or 21
>percent; and drones dropped 4,462, or 7 percent, according to the statistics."
>
>It is also worth noting that each 100 rounds fired from the A-10's cannon is
>considered a weapons release.
>
>These numbers don't tell the whole story, such as how many aircraft of each type
>have been deployed on average to the region over the course of the operation, or
>how many hours each type has flown over the enemy territory and so on, but the
>metric is still highly significant and telling. The fact that the A-10 also does
>the job cheaper than any other manned tactical aircraft on that list is
>important to note, as is the fact that it can engage the enemy under conditions
>other platforms simply cannot.
>
>The USAF's latest andtotally ludicrous war to kill the A-10, which started
>following sequestration, seems to have been largely won, as the type is now
>slated to stay in the Air Force's inventory till 2030. Still, the USAF's
>attempts to undermine the A-10 community's future capacity to wage war
>continues. At this point in time, it looks like the hog will prevail in this
>battle as well, but don't expect the USAF stop its A-10 abuse.
>
>But considering the flying service has tried to kill the jet time and time
>again, starting not long after it acquired the type decades ago, the Warthog's
>track record of surviving on battlefield Capitol Hill is even better than over
>actual war zones. The A-10's plight has also been helped uncannily over and over
>by the course of world events. Just when the USAF brass says they can get by
>without the aircraft and that it is not needed for battles of the future, it
>proves itself as invaluable in combat.
>
>more at
>http://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/12419/the-best-hog-is-a-filthy-hog-if-usaf-had-its-way-this-jet-wouldnt-be-devouring-isis
>
>
>
>*
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