Article

2016-05-09 -Short Attention Span Theater-

F-35 Pilots Not Happy to Perform A-10 Comparison Tests

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Posted by gorb 2016-05-09 01:44|| || Front Page|| [11138 views ] Top

#1 ...I feel sorry for LTCOL Wood. Right now, the few -35s in the USAF inventory are being tended 24/7 by handpicked LockMart/USAF crews and the results still ain't good (one test about a month ago under the most favorable conditions imaginable got ONE -35 out of six off the ground after a day of trying). If that can't be beat, then all the Hog has to do is show up.

Mike

Posted by Mike Kozlowski 2016-05-09 05:25|| 2016-05-09 05:25|| Front Page Top

#2 How about allowing the end user/customer (Army) do the evaluation? Or better yet, just move the mission and resources directly to the end user.

Posted by Procopius2k 2016-05-09 06:06|| 2016-05-09 06:06|| Front Page Top

#3 Procurement and OMA cost comparisons as well ?

Posted by Besoeker 2016-05-09 07:37|| 2016-05-09 07:37|| Front Page Top

#4 Wood got one thing right in that article.

When designing and conducting tests, intimate knowledge of the systems being tested allows the outcome to be pre-ordained. Ran many tests of computer systems in my career and it was easy to design them to give the desired answer.

The problem is deciding what, in an objective world, the correct answer is.

Posted by AlanC 2016-05-09 07:46|| 2016-05-09 07:46|| Front Page Top

#5 The problem is deciding what, in an objective world, the correct answer is.
Posted by AlanC

'Engineering in' contract w/o end proprietary sustainment and multi-decade innovative upgrades are obviously a must.

Posted by Besoeker 2016-05-09 07:57|| 2016-05-09 07:57|| Front Page Top

#6 Whaaaaa....

Here is the scenario for both planes:
Call goes out for CAS. Pilots jump in planes and depart to target area. Smoke has marked one target. Hit target. Loiter over area for more targets from the ground controller. Hit targets. As eyes above the ground be able to spot hostile movement and adjust fire and relay intel to ground forces. Fly home. Damage assessment and how close you came to the target with your weapons will be graded.

Pretty easy and something the A10 does every day. If the F-35 can take over, it should be able to accomplish the above fairly easily.

I bet it can't which is why the pilot mafia has their panties in a bunch.

Posted by DarthVader 2016-05-09 10:44|| 2016-05-09 10:44|| Front Page Top

#7 Darth, somehow I doubt that the AF is going risk one of their precious, oh so expensive F-35s flying down in the weeds just to help a few ground pounders.

Posted by Rambler in Virginia 2016-05-09 10:53|| 2016-05-09 10:53|| Front Page Top

#8 Let's put the f16 and f15 through the same tests and judge them by how well they strafe...

Posted by Thing From Snowy Mountain 2016-05-09 11:12|| 2016-05-09 11:12|| Front Page Top

#9 Beso, most definitely.

To quote the Blogfather, "Where's the graft in that?"

Oh right, that's where.

Posted by AlanC 2016-05-09 11:50|| 2016-05-09 11:50|| Front Page Top

#10 USAF preordained tests: Went to a Red Flag exercise with a bunch of intruders; 2 of them were painted an experimental desert mottled tan;
we sent both as a section and they jumped the Ascot boys. When they got back the 2 star running the show told our C.O. he couldn't fly those two birds together again. Overhead photos showed the tan birds invisible against the ground.
sad when a bomb truck can take out a F-15/16.

Posted by USN, Ret. 2016-05-09 14:36|| 2016-05-09 14:36|| Front Page Top

#11 Yer doing it wrong. Want to show off your shiny new plane? Fly it head-to-head against the A-10 in an air superiority exercise. That will show those warty Warthog lovers!

Posted by SteveS 2016-05-09 14:58|| 2016-05-09 14:58|| Front Page Top

#12 If y'all aren't including an OpFor with a representational anti-aircraft system like the Pantsir-S1 y'all are really being unrealistic.

Posted by Thing From Snowy Mountain 2016-05-09 15:01|| 2016-05-09 15:01|| Front Page Top

#13 The damn plane was pitched as a dual use aircraft to be used as a ground support aircraft. It was sold to replace the A10. Just like every fighter prior to it, the Air Force lied to get their new toy. They are good at this. I remember the F16 was sold as a ground support aircraft. Then the f18 and on and on. But then on delivery they are hard configured for aerial combat only. When called out the Air Force standard reply is that the aircraft is a ground support bird but it's not configured for it and it will take bundles of money to reconfigure. This stunt is getting old.

Posted by 49 pan 2016-05-09 18:20|| 2016-05-09 18:20|| Front Page Top

#14 That's because people keep defining ground support as strafing form fifty feet when that's no longer a viable strategy against opponents with AA missiles.

Posted by Thing From Snowy Mountain 2016-05-09 23:14|| 2016-05-09 23:14|| Front Page Top

#15 They lost six A10s in a three week period in Desert Storm before they were reassigned to areas without AA support. That was against the monkey model Soviet stuff from 1990.

Posted by Thing From Snowy Mountain 2016-05-09 23:34|| 2016-05-09 23:34|| Front Page Top

#16 The only fixed wing aircraft lost to an enemy Sam in oif was an a10. The rest were fast movers shot down by patriots.

Posted by Thing From Snowy Mountain 2016-05-09 23:43|| 2016-05-09 23:43|| Front Page Top

23:43 Thing From Snowy Mountain
23:34 Thing From Snowy Mountain
23:21 Raj
23:14 Thing From Snowy Mountain
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20:33 Barbara
19:52 Jan
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18:47 Deacon Blues
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18:27 49 pan
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17:38 trailing wife