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Savannahmann

(3,891 posts)

25. The airforce is replacing some, the Navy and Marines the other

Tue Feb 25, 2014, 01:52 PM

Feb 2014

The Navy is planning on replacing their F/A 18's for the carrier varient of the F-35. The Marines are replacing their F/A-18s for the VSTOL varient. That way it can land vertically, or take off if it isn't carrying any weapons, vertically.

The Air Force wants to replace the F-16 and A-10 with the airplane.

Because the new plane is sexy, or something.

Notice that the one they want to replace everything with is less capable than the ones they are replacing. It can't carry as many bombs as the F/A 18. Can't fly as far. Costs much more, and so far, doesn't actually work. But they look modern, and are more stealthy which is important when you are doing close air support, or something.

If only the design of firearms was as "advanced". By now guns would look incredibly scary, cost a bloody fortune, and the bullet would drop to the ground about a yard after it left the barrel. Oh, and the gun would break after six or so shots. We could probably save tens of thousands of lives that way.

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DOD aims to scrap A-10 to keep F-35 alive in new budget [View all] n2doc Feb 2014 OP

Truly idiotic jsr Feb 2014 #1

k&r for exposure. n/t Laelth Feb 2014 #2

well of course anything sensible is out of the question librechik Feb 2014 #3

Best airplane the US ever produced, except maybe the B-17 Recursion Feb 2014 #4

yeah i gotta say as ugly as they are they look beautiful when you see them come in to support loli phabay Feb 2014 #19

Please mister, please don't play B-17! arcane1 Feb 2014 #29

lets not leave out the C-130 as a potential best DrDan Feb 2014 #45

There is no money in promoting and keeping a warplane that works. TxVietVet Feb 2014 #5

At least it's better than the Osprey. Hopefully. Recursion Feb 2014 #7

It works perfectly. arcane1 Feb 2014 #30

I think the term you're looking for is "corporatist fascism" Nuclear Unicorn Feb 2014 #37

Wouldn't the relatively low stall speed Enthusiast Feb 2014 #43

Love that plane... Lost_Count Feb 2014 #6

Dangerous as shit, as far as flyboy jobs go Recursion Feb 2014 #8

Probably more satisfying too... Lost_Count Feb 2014 #13

wonder why. Not. cali Feb 2014 #9

Typical. Scrap something that works and get something that doesn't. hobbit709 Feb 2014 #10

k&r appal_jack Feb 2014 #11

I can't imagine an F35 on the deck providing close air neverforget Feb 2014 #12

It won't be atreides1 Feb 2014 #14

As an ex-tanker, I love the A-10. Aristus Feb 2014 #15

It's a good thing we don't really need a military. malthaussen Feb 2014 #16

The Air Force wants to replace the A-10, the F-16, and some F/A-18s with three F-35 variants. Lasher Feb 2014 #17

The airforce is replacing some, the Navy and Marines the other Savannahmann Feb 2014 #25

This is a good conversation to have. Lasher Feb 2014 #40

Remember we cut the F-22's down to a handful clffrdjk Feb 2014 #46

This is a bad decision Gothmog Feb 2014 #18

We a ruled by morans. CFLDem Feb 2014 #20

If they were interested in reducing costs and increasing effectiveness, they should Egalitarian Thug Feb 2014 #21

Trillion Dollar Toy Octafish Feb 2014 #22

It's about the dumbest possible use of the money. Enthusiast Feb 2014 #44

I've heard that they're propping up the F35 because although the F18 is adequate in its current role Erose999 Feb 2014 #23

yup you basically want a flying tank, ie spooky. wonder if older style prop aircraft would work loli phabay Feb 2014 #24

The A-1 Skyraider was still in use in Viet-Nam Savannahmann Feb 2014 #27

Bring back the SPAD!!! SQUEE Feb 2014 #41

I read somewhere that the prop driven A1 Skyraider had the most sorties on any airframe used in 'Nam Erose999 Feb 2014 #28

what a misleading BS title Pretzel_Warrior Feb 2014 #26

The A10 isn't just a tank buster. Its one of the best aircraft we have for close air support. The Erose999 Feb 2014 #31

so what? It's old and outdated. I'd much rather bring to bear 21st century technology against Pretzel_Warrior Feb 2014 #32

Nice idea, except for the fact we don't have ANY F-35s in service friendly_iconoclast Feb 2014 #34

Except the A10 is not outdated. Especially considering that our future conflicts will most likely be Erose999 Feb 2014 #35

It remains the most effective close air support aircraft in US service Lurks Often Feb 2014 #36

If we don't need a tank-killer because we aren't killing tanks Nuclear Unicorn Feb 2014 #38

Speaking as an old time Army Grunt Bandit Feb 2014 #42

This is really going to piss off US Soldiers. MrScorpio Feb 2014 #33

The A-10 supports ground troops, which are Army or maybe Marines, amandabeech Feb 2014 #39