![]() The helicopter was effective, and prompted the U.S. This was an attack helicopter armed with long-range BGM-71 TOW missiles able to destroy tanks from outside the range of defensive fire. This proved effective against the lightly armed enemy, and new gun and rocket pods were added. First used in its intended role as a transport, it was soon modified in the field to carry more machine guns in what became known as the helicopter gunship role. Army.ĭuring this period, the United States Army had been introducing the UH-1 Iroquois into service. The AH-56 Cheyenne appeared to offer the possibility of handing much of the tactical air-to-ground role to the U.S. 6.3 Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, and recent deploymentsEdit.4.1 HOG UP and Wing Replacement ProgramEdit.However, this aircraft doubled in cost with demands for an upgraded engine and new avionics. A 1965 cost-effectiveness study shifted the focus from the F-5 to the less expensive LTV A-7D, and a contract was awarded. It first focused on the Northrop F-5, which had air-to-air capability. Air Force decided to adopt a low-cost aircraft to supplement the F-4 and F-111. It was also expensive to buy and operate, with a flyaway cost of $2 million in FY1965 ($16.2 million today), and operational costs over $900 per hour ($7,000 per hour today).Īfter a broad review of its tactical force structure, the U.S. While the Phantom went on to be one of the most successful fighter designs of the 1960s, and proved to be a capable fighter-bomber, its lack of loiter time was a major problem, and to a lesser extent, its poor low-speed performance. The former became the Tactical Fighter Experimental, or TFX, which emerged as the F-111, while the second was filled by a version of the U.S. On 7 June 1961, Secretary of Defense McNamara ordered the USAF to develop two tactical aircraft, one for the long-range strike and interdictor role, and the other focusing on the fighter-bomber mission. The lack of modern conventional attack capability prompted calls for a specialized attack aircraft. The A-1 Skyraider also had poor firepower. Air Force and Marine Corps lost 266 A-1s in action in Vietnam, largely from small arms fire. While a capable aircraft for its era, with a relatively large payload and long loiter time, the propeller-driven design was also relatively slow and vulnerable to ground fire. Design efforts for tactical aircraft focused on the delivery of nuclear weapons using high-speed designs like the F-101 Voodoo and F-105 Thunderchief.Designs concentrating on conventional weapons had been largely ignored, leaving their entry into the Vietnam War led by the Korean War-era Douglas A-1 Skyraider. With a variety of upgrades and wing replacements, the A-10's service life can be extended to 2040 the service has no planned retirement date as of June 2017.Post- World War II development of conventionally armed attack aircraft in the United States had stagnated. Air Force had stated the F-35 would replace the A-10 as it entered service, but this remains highly contentious within the USAF and in political circles. In 2005, a program was started to upgrade remaining A-10A aircraft to the A-10C configuration, with modern avionics for use with precision weaponry. The A-10A single-seat variant was the only version produced, though one pre-production airframe was modified into the YA-10B twin-seat prototype to test an all-weather night capable version. The A-10 also participated in other conflicts such as in Grenada, the Balkans, Afghanistan, Iraq, and against the Islamic State in the Middle East. The A-10 served in the Gulf War ( Operation Desert Storm), the American–led intervention against Iraq's invasion of Kuwait, where the aircraft distinguished itself. Its short takeoff and landing capability permits operation from airstrips close to the front lines, and its simple design enables maintenance with minimal facilities. Its airframe was designed for durability, with measures such as 1,200 pounds (540 kg) of titanium armor to protect the cockpit and aircraft systems, enabling it to absorb a significant amount of damage and continue flying. The A-10 was designed around the 30 mm GAU-8 Avenger rotary cannon. The A-10 was intended to improve on the performance and firepower of the A-1 Skyraider. An A-10 with shark teeth nose art from the 74th Fighter Squadron after taking on fuel over Afghanistan
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