Life-expectancy of pilots during war

gents,

Was wondering what was the most dangerous aircraft to fly during a modern war like a potantial WWIII. In other words what would be the aircraft where you wouldn’t want to sit in during battle.

To me that would be AWACS-aircraft like the E-3/A-50 with both sides doing all they can to down these very important assets. Both willing to lose numerous aircraft to get one down. Pilots and crew will be already in danger on the ground when longrange missiles (scud,…) are used to destroy the aircraft who are unprotected on the runways (no availible HAS for NATO E-3s). In other words , if the enemy develops new weapons specially to shoot YOU down, yoy are not in a good position. BTW, I don’t think the crew of those Iraqi AWACS slept well the days before Desert Shield/storm.

Another hazardous way to earn money is to loiter in slow aircraft above the battlefield like the USAF used the A-10A. Slow and low above ground a warthog wouldn’t be the place to be during a modern war despite an armoured cockpit and other protective features. Remember A-10s were withdrawn during desertstorm from attacks by daylight on highly protected targets after 2 warthogs went down when engaging a Republican Guards-division. During a war with the soviets the USAF would have had that luxury.

On the enemies’ side being part of a crew of a Tu-95 on search for a carrierbattlegroup would be enough to suffer from ulsers. Same for the Badgers, Backfire-crews were better off.

Courages were also the Luftwaffe-pilots who had to attack a modern Russian army in their Alpha-jet lightattack (actually lead-in fightertrainers). Staying with the Germans ; how would you like to be the pilot of a F-4F (before the DASA-upgrading) without BVR-weapons and before the introduction of the AIM-9L in the early eighties having only worthless AIM-9B sidewinders facing some numerous well equiped Warchaupact MiGs ?

stuff to think about

greetings
mark