Ibo_Simon | Un petit reader digest de ces interventions récentes sur ce même topic:
Sur l'altitude d'utilisation des A-10, les conditions et le fait que l'A-10 n'ait jamais fait face à un IADS:
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Yup, knowing where the friendlies aren't, is as important as knowing where the friendlies are. And the sort, when there are no defined lines such as a FLOT or a CSAR situation where the enemy is just everywhere, can be a real pain to get correct. But you have to get it correct. No choice.
We really have been spoiled by the last 14 years with CAS performed in such permissive airspace, both with zero air-air threat, as well as minimal surface-air threat, and even then none of it radar-guided. Even the '91 Desert Storm air defenses did a good amount of damage to the A-10, AV-8 and A-6E communities with knocking down a number of them and damaging many more. The tactics being used at the time didn't help either, with bringing the initial low-altitude Fulda Gap stuff to the featureless Iraq. I fear that we haven't learned that lesson, or else are too complacent to not recognize that if we face anything more than an Afghan scenario, we will get our butts handed to us. I fear it's going to take another round of hard losses to learn that, and Im hoping that we don't see that with A-10 ops into or near Syria, with ISIS operators or sympathizers actually using the captured Syrian air defense equipment and knocking some of them down, much like the Jordanian F-16.
McSally, I guarantee you've done more CAS than her. I've done more CAS than her. McCain, I believe his missions were mostly all interdiction in combat, when he was in the A-4. I don't believe he ever did any CAS missions. And prior to the A-4 when he was in the USN A-1's, was prior to combat in Vietnam.
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Encore sur l'altitude d'opération:
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Going low level to provide CAS is the exception these days, rather than the rule. Namely because weapons and sensors carried these days, other than gun and rockets, are optimized for medium altitude usage, A-10 included. To go low (if required), one isn't going to be using a TGP, other than buddy/ground lasing perhaps if using LGBs. If that's not available, then the LGBs are going to have to be dropped using their parent weapon's ballistics....ie- Mk82 for GBU-12, etc. And even then, there will have to be a higher than normal drop for frag consideration, due to the bombs not being high drag. Secondly, unless absolutely necessary, you're not going to drop down into small arms/automatic weapons range for the heck of it, there would need to be good reason.
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Sur la menace des SAM:
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It's a threat you accept when providing CAS and operating within the envelope of those weapons, as the situation dictates.
The F-15Es we've had shot down, have all been to 1960s-era SA-2 SAMs. So all SAMs are a threat, and if you need to operate within a MANPAD envelope to get the job done, then you do. But if you don't have to and can do it above their envelope, then you do that.
Regards the Army, I'm sure that anything having to do with them, they're kept in the loop on. What gets me are these people saying "listen to what the Army troops want, when they request Hogs"
Well, the Army only requests effects when they need CAS. It's up to the JTAC/ALO or even CAS pilot, to determine the apprproiate weapons to deliver that effect they need, as these guys know their weapons systems and their capabilities, not some Army grunt on the ground. It's the same way as the Army isn't going to ask some Air Force guys opinion on which set of armor/tank tactics are best to use against a given enemy's armor forces.
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Sur les possibilités d'emport:
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up. Like I mentioned, the only thing you'll find on 6 is a centerline bag, as only 4/6/8 are plumbed for externals. A store can be put on 6, but it's not practical. With regards to 2000# ordnance, while there are 8 hardpoints that can carry a Mk84 or derivative parent mounted, in terms of weight, you'll never see an A-10 with more than 4 of those. And likely with none of them, as they're not practical to the mission and severely task the already underpowered jet. Same with 1000# ordnance.
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Sur les emports usuels:
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The A-10 can only use 10 hardpoints at once, and practically speaking, not all will be used. In combat, all that was carried was 4 500# variants parent mounted, a 7-shot pod of rockets, 2 AGMs or 1 AGM and a pod, and that was about it. No ECM pod, no AIM-9s; both not needed for our latest dust ups. So these full-loadouts, you just won't see them on that jet. What it can carry or what its hardpoints are rated for, versus what is carried in reality, are two very different things. Which is why the whole notion is kind of moot.
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Sur le pourquoi de ces faibles capacités réelles:
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Question: Why aren't full loadouts carried? Speed correct?
A number of reasons. Impractical for any kind of maneuverability. Much less just takeoff performance at higher temp/DAs.
Speed is never an issue with the A-10, as the only thing it does fast, is taxi. And want to jump the chocks. Never knew why a parking brake was never installed on that thing.
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Une anecdote à ce sujet:
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All other current USAF tactical jets have a parking brake. The A-10 never has had one, and like I mentioned, the only thing it does fast is taxi. When stopped and not chocked, even at idle, the jet is pushing against the brakes you're holding when you're on level ground. I remember once having to divert to a civil field for weather, and had to park on a ramp in the middle of nowhere on the other end of the field. Took a good while for an FBO truck to show with chocks, so on this large empty ramp, I got tired of holding the brakes, and took a few laps around it taxiing just to be able to rest the legs for a bit.
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Sur l'autonomie:
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5 hours? I've never been able to loiter anywhere near 5 hours on my 11,500 lbs of internal fuel, even if the target was 5 miles from the base I took off from, and I was hanging on the throttles at best endurance and 15,000 MSL.
Where's the 5 hours figure from? I barely have 3 hours fuel on board.
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~3500-4000 lbs/hr. 2.5ish hours with reserves. That's just if cruising around straight and level, on average.
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Sur le CAS en basse altitude:
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Low CAS isn't in the past as a tactic, it's still viable; however it's the exception now whereas before it was once the norm. There can be tactical situations, WX limitations, or even systems limitation or inoperative situations, that may require it. So it needs to be kept in the hip-pocket and adequately trained to. That said though, the new-normal is indeed medium altitude CAS. Everyone including the A-10 is employing from there, and systems and munitions are optimized to be employed from there. There's no need to come down into the small arms/automatic weapons threat range unless necessary for certain situations.
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Normal ops CAS was from medium altitude. We only went low if required by the tactical situation, or WX, or target ID etc. There's no reason to place oneself in small arms/automatic weapons range, or MANPAD range, if not necessary. Back then in the A-model, we were carrying dumb bombs/rockets/gun, with no TGP.
In the C-model, with it's sensors and JDAM/LGBs, it is more efficient and effective at medium altitude, and has even less need to come down low, again unless some tactical need or for WX, as with having a TGP, it can work just like a slow F-16 up at altitude, and see the same things on the ground and attack them.
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Sur Desert Storm et l'A-10:
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In DS, A-10s came in with their (at the time) low-level Fulda Gap tactics, and started taking severe hits. They were quickly pushed up to medium altitude, and had to learn to employ from there effectively (not commonly done at that time).
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Sur l'opposition furtivité-CAS:
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Yes. For rockets or strafe, which are still viable weapons, pointing the nose at the ground is still needed for those weapons. Plus, for any weapons guidance malfunctions known prior to dropping of JDAM/LGB, they will have to then be dropped like a normal slick out of a dive bomb. While JDAMs/LGBs are indeed fairly standard these days, there are still the older school weapons carried that require older school deliveries
This whole thing about stealth and CAS is somewhat moot. The two have nothing to do with one another, in the sense that if there are known radar guided threats that the FLOT is nearby to, the priority is going to be SEAD first, before it will ever be CAS. Prioritizing CAS over SEAD in that way, will only serve to get CAS planes killed.
Agree on the low and slow CAS though. These days, low and slow is the exception, not the norm. I don't know why many of my bretheren and fanpeople are so hung up on that. There's no reason to come down into SA/AW range/threat, unless the tactical situation or WX dictates it. For any "normal" CAS these days, it's indeed from medium altitude, including the Hog.
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