Tank buster alternatives to the A10?

The next generation of aircrraft designed to engage heavy and light armored vechicles in come in the form of remote-piloted vechicle. Fixed winged aircraft will still be on the battlefield but in a limited role.
Currently our Air-Defense-Artilery units are being trained to eveluate the unmanned air vechicle as the prime aerial threat followed by rotary wing and fixed wing airframes.
Conflicts fought on land, air and sea are changing in complexity. Our military will evolve to these new challenges and the UAV will play a larger role in three sceranios.

[edit on 30-8-2004 by flycatch]

Develwasp, the Tornado GR4 is the best low level strike aircraft in the world by a mile but when you are talking about something like the A-10 you are talking about a completely different class of aircraft, you might as well say the Tornado is the same as the Nimrod because it launches missiles.
Those who criticise the A-10 as being obsolete because it is slow and low tech are completely missing the point. The A-10 first flew in 1972 and was designed that way on purpose, don't you think they could have made it like the Tornado (1974) if they wanted to? It horses for courses. experience in Vietnam when A-1 Skyraiders were actually replacing F-4 Phantoms on certain missions because they were more suitable is what led to the A-10's creation in the first place. You wouldn't go deep into enemy territory or low over the sea in an A-10 but you wouldn't like to turn a tornado over the battlefield at low speed either.

You only have to look at the BAe designs I posted, they all date from 1987 and recognise the usefulness of a slow flying armoured and agile combat aircraft over the battlefield, in no way would they attempt to fly any of the Tornado's mission profiles with these aircraft.

[edit on 30-8-2004 by waynos]

Originally posted by flycatch
devilwasp,

I was not refering to the attack aircraft you mentioned. I was refering to the A-10 and SU-25. Battle damage, lost aircraft and pilots proved to be there achillies heel.

[edit on 30-8-2004 by flycatch]

oh
uhhh sorry about that

Originally posted by flycatch
This airplane puts its pilot in harms way. As long as the opposing force has surface to air missles this plane will become a victim. Poster do your homework and find out why they have been withdrawn from the battlefield. They are not being used in Iraq, wonder why?

I was sure A-10s were in use in Iraq, here is a link of one that was shot up and made it back to it's base.

www.kather.org...

Originally posted by Ezekial


I was sure A-10s were in use in Iraq, here is a link of one that was shot up and made it back to it's base.

www.kather.org...

yeah they were.
ask british tank crews about that, lol just jokeing.

Originally posted by devilwasp
yeah they were.
ask british tank crews about that, lol just jokeing.

Does that mean the A-10 WAS used and then pulled out?

in both gulf wars and afghanistan there has been incidents of friendly fire by US pilots on British soldiers by US pilots flying A-10 and F-15 i believe.

One of the reasons might of been because US pilots are given speed so they can stay awake on those boring long hour flights. The US is the only airforce in the world that i know that does this.

thanks,
drfunk

Originally posted by drfunk
in both gulf wars and afghanistan there has been incidents of friendly fire by US pilots on British soldiers by US pilots flying A-10 and F-15 i believe.

One of the reasons might of been because US pilots are given speed so they can stay awake on those boring long hour flights. The US is the only airforce in the world that i know that does this.

And the 2nd reason may be that British pilots are not flying CAS misions (or at least not so fequently) don't you think?

[edit on 31-8-2004 by longbow]