A-10: Like a zombie, back from the dead!!!

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First Shirt
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Re: A-10: Like a zombie, back from the dead!!!

Post by First Shirt »

randy wrote:
BDK wrote:So I admit to being completely out of my depth here, but wouldn't the Navy need a CAS branch to support Marines?
It's called Marine Aviation.
Marine Aviation: Because America's Navy's Army needs it's own Air Force.
But there ain't many troubles that a man caint fix, with seven hundred dollars and a thirty ought six."
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Vonz90
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Re: A-10: Like a zombie, back from the dead!!!

Post by Vonz90 »

randy wrote:
BDK wrote:So I admit to being completely out of my depth here, but wouldn't the Navy need a CAS branch to support Marines?
It's called Marine Aviation.
Navy does CAS too, has done so both for Marines and Army units in various conflicts up to present.
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Jericho941
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Re: A-10: Like a zombie, back from the dead!!!

Post by Jericho941 »

Vonz90 wrote:
Jericho941 wrote:No, that's the Marines.

In all seriousness, I genuinely cannot tell if you're just messing with me. It's a good one if you are, but if otherwise: I thought I was being perfectly clear that my argument is 1) this stereotype of the Air Force hating CAS, the A-10, and having zero CAS platforms outside the A-1 and A-10 is -based on all experience and information available to me- absolute bunk; 2) the Super Tucano is a dinky little plane for dinky little Air Forces; and 3) That CAS is just one component of a broad mission set performed by the Air Force. Maybe I should've expounded on that last part?
Nothing is all one thing or another, but yes the AF has been dragged kicking and screaming to CAS on more than one occasion and it is very much in their organizational DNA to favor the strategic mission (that is not all bad, but it is bad).
http://www.au.af.mil/au/afri/aspj/airc ... dor2a.html
Secretary of the Air Force Thomas K. Finletter's comment that "the Korean War was a unique, never-to-be-repeated diversion from the true course of strategic air power."
I don't know if it is online or not, but the original USAF official history of the Korean War makes interesting reading in that regard. It was written in the mid 50s or so and went to great lengths criticizing the Navy for wasting so much effort on CAS instead of interdiction and strategic attack.

So while I am not connected enough with the higher ups in the AF to know, there is plenty of precidence to think that some of them want to ditch or ignore the CAS mission.
All right, that's a good article, thanks. It gives me some good jumping-off points for further research, too.
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