Bye Bye Hawg..

[kilo delta]

The last A-10 Thunderbolt II tactical sortie in Europe was launched from SPANGDAHLEM AIR BASE, Germany (AFNS).
The airframe belongs to the 52nd Fighter Wing's 81st Fighter Squadron, which will be retired in June this year.

In the sortie, the three pilots flew the A-10s to train with a new helmet upgrade. The Scorpion Helmet-Mounted Cueing System includes an eyepiece attachment that taps into the data relay and communications systems of the aircraft to project a colour heads-up display to highlight friendly or enemy forces.

The aircraft will be relocated to Moody Air Force Base, Ga., to help fulfil training requirements and force augmentation. The flight for the last four aircraft out of Germany is scheduled for May 17.

http://www.key.aero/view_news.asp?ID=6076&thisSection=military

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=9axCgG7JKn8


Sad to see the venerable Warthog's leaving Europe's shores, though at least they never got to carry out their primary mission here throughout the Cold War.

[stansdds]

The USAF has been trying to get rid of the A-10 ever since they took delivery of the first one. The aircraft serves a vital role, but it's not fast, it's not sleek and sure ain't sexy, and those are the attributes the USAF seems to desire. With sequestration, the USAF is deactivating the A-10 at an accelerated pace.

[kilo delta]

The USAF has been trying to get rid of the A-10 ever since they took delivery of the first one. The aircraft serves a vital role, but it's not fast, it's not sleek and sure ain't sexy, and those are the attributes the USAF seems to desire. With sequestration, the USAF is deactivating the A-10 at an accelerated pace.


Yep the Hawg's death knell has rung on many occasions, though time and time again it's proved it's use and it's devastating capabilities on the battlefield. I've only ever seen them at airshows, but despite their lack of speed and good looks, they were always one of my favourites no doubt due to the manner in which they were flown. :)

[stiz]

The USAF has been trying to get rid of the A-10 ever since they took delivery of the first one. The aircraft serves a vital role, but it's not fast, it's not sleek and sure ain't sexy, and those are the attributes the USAF seems to desire. With sequestration, the USAF is deactivating the A-10 at an accelerated pace.

there only moving squadrons out of germany, just like they are troops, tanks, cars, everything military. They aint killing it just yet ;)

[kilo delta]

there only moving squadrons out of germany, just like they are troops, tanks, cars, everything military. They aint killing it just yet ;)

Boeing are in the midst of replacing the wings on many of them, though some will no doubt be earmarked for ARMARG.

[kilo delta]

A-10, B-1 Vertical Cuts On the Tablehttp://www.airforcemag.com/DRArchive/PublishingImages/2013/June%202013/Day18/pix061813warthogTH.jpg (http://www.airforcemag.com/DRArchive/Pages/2013/June%202013/June%2018%202013/pix061813warthog.aspx)The Air Force may have to eliminate an entire fleet of a particular kind of aircraft—possibly all A-10s or B-1Bs—in order to live within reduced budgets if sequestration persists into Fiscal 2014 and beyond, Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Welsh said June 17. “It’s cheaper to cut fleets than it is to cut a few from a fleet: a lot cheaper,” Welsh said at an AFA-sponsored Air Force breakfast event in Arlington, Va. “So, it’s a way to recapitalize and modernize,” he added. Although Welsh cautioned that “we’re looking at everything” and “there is no coming together on a final decision…yet,” he told reporters that the logic underlying the last big round of aircraft divestitures still holds. The A-10, he said, is a “single mission airplane” and, pressed for cash, the Air Force must hold onto “multi-mission” aircraft—read F-16—as its first priority. Service officials have noted that retiring all A-10s would solve two financial problems. One is the expense and complexity of maintaining and operating two very different variants within the A-10 fleet: those with and without new wings, and with or without upgraded systems. The retirement also would allow avoidance of the cost of rewinging most A-10s (http://www.airforcemag.com/DRArchive/Pages/2010/January%202010/January%2020%202010/A-10Wing-SetWorkBegins.aspx). Welsh said the decisions on what to retire will be made “in partnership with Congress, the National Guard Bureau, with the Air Force Reserve….Right now, we are not limiting options at all.” Last week he said USAF may have to retire as many as 700 more aircraft.



http://www.airforcemag.com/DRArchive/Pages/2013/June%202013/June%2018%202013/A-10,-B-1-Vertical-Cuts-On-the-Table.aspx

[Victory103]

Sad to read as a huge Hawg fan. But you have to re-role your airframe to make it relevant in today's multi-role fight, ala USMC KC-130's with the Harvest Hawk kit fitted.

[Naismith]

I think the are quite sexy, sat one glorious afternoon in the 80's watching then tear up a Lincolnshire beach in a wargame exercise. That is some awesome cannon.

[Daveroo]

Sad to read as a huge Hawg fan. But you have to re-role your airframe to make it relevant in today's multi-role fight, ala USMC KC-130's with the Harvest Hawk kit fitted.


what is the "harvest Hawk"?

[pfflyers]

From Wikipedia:

With the addition of the Marine Corps's ISR (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISTAR#ISR_.28Intelligence.2C_Surveillance_and_Reco nnaissance.29) / Weapon Mission Kit, the KC-130J will be able to serve as an overwatch (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overwatch)aircraft and can deliver ground support fire in the form of Hellfire (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AGM-114_Hellfire) or Griffin (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Griffin_(missile)) missiles, precision-guided bombs (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Precision-guided_munition), and eventually30mm cannon fire (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mk44_Bushmaster_II) in a later upgrade. This capability, designated as "Harvest HAWK" (Hercules Airborne Weapons Kit), can be used in scenarios where precision is not a requisite, such as area denial (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Area_denial_weapons).