I’m not talking about the generical CAs mission almost in the quite respective significance that is sometimes given to it i.e. performing a single bombing run under the instruction of a ground controller team but a mission in support of as CSAR mission i.e. something thsat require a continuative presence in supporting on an operation that could last hour.
Amazingchichens affirm that Marines has done a CSAR, I suppose he means a simulation of the rescue of a fallen pilot not an operative action.
Because you know, my country air force has had to perform a real rescue mission in Afganistan in August 2011 and not of a single men but of a whole company of US soldiers that got struck in a gorge due to a Buffalo getting struck, the operation lasted five days and led to the loss of a spanish chinook, american send some F/A-18 and we sendour AMX and Mangusta.
It turned out that while the Hornets and Mangusta weren’t able to assure a continuative presence, our own small, atypical (no armor and just a M61 peashooter) but nevertheless truly CAS plane bwas the only one able to stay there until a new wave of the other planes came back, loitering over the zone and making a pass , even with depleted ammo to make the assailant squat down.
It seems that it was this characteristic that ultimely saved the (five ) day.
I’ve searched internet for more precise report but for the moment I have just found this one (official silence about our country overseas mission is usually deafening so no surprise about it), take it just as a proof to make sure I’m not inventing stories. http://espresso.repubblica.it/googlenews/2012/08/20/news/la-guerra-segreta-di-monti-1.45809
Now, I’m not trying to convince you, just pointing out about a suspect I have that the congress is trying to make up a taylored made evaluation centered on the actual strongpoints of a specialized CAS just to keep the A-10…
Nothing more, nothing less. Not leaning to a solution instead of the other, almost not at the holy crusade level someone has when it talks in favor or against the F-35.
Let me say, it just seems that A-10 is performing extremely well in current engagement in Syria/Iraq so I’ll still give it more than some chances to get a few more years of service.
In the same time, I expect the F-35 to operate in the low and slow department much better than the rest of current Usaf fast jets fleet so it would in the end be the best candidate for its successor as times goes by. In ther meantime, it can take the place of F-16.
P.S. AMX and A-10 operated together over Serbia just in the way Tomcat described, with outstanding results, one was heavily armed and armored, the other had updated better “data sharing” reconnoissance ecquipments.
We never lost a Chinook in Afghanistan. But we lost a Super Puma in 2012 doing medevac for the US guys, one of our Chinooks recovered the helo the next morning.
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