tac airlifter

Oops, my fat fingers and tiny iPhone accidentally down voted your post.

Caveat- I don't fly gunships. But the last 7 years in AFSOC has taught me that, assuming your luck and timing aren't terrible, switching between all platforms is possible. I've seen at least one of every type come through our SQ and our guys going every direction. My personal opinion if you're choosing between AC & MC would be take the gunship. You can fly a low level anytime, but the fight is raging and ACs are bringing the hurt to our enemies. There will always be fun flying, but if you have any desire to actually fight you'll regret not scratching the itch. Good luck.

I disagree, I think Budda's idea is excellent. There are more people on the fence about the decision to stay or leave AD than you might think, and ideas like this buy down the amount of obvious bullshit and increase chances of keeping talent around. Everything in life is a cost/benefit analysis of some kind- but we each make that calculation differently.

Great point. So often AF discusses capabilities void of the circumstances they're used in. Combat isn't a sterile academic environment.

you think manned ISR POL takes a lot of hardware/manpower over a 20 hour pred mission? Also, that 20 hour mission spends how long in transit? Compared to manned assets transiting 20 minutes? and you think logistics are lighter for RPA? There is 1 place in the world right now where unmanned is covering down and manned isn't. There are multiple places where the reverse is true. This isnt a pissing contest, I appreciate the significant benefits unmanned brings to the fight. But you're saying these things about target access and logistic limitations for manned ISR which you assume would apply to light attack; but it just isn't the case. Manned ISR is flexible and able to forward stage at austere locations- light attack would be the same; they could sit on the ground with a SAT radio and launch when the time is right. This is already happening. It sounds like you are projecting your experience in AFG across other fights and it doesn't fit.

All good man, admittedly I only know my niche and am wholly ignorant of the CAF outside where our lanes touch. Not sure we're thinking of the same thing though; there's more happening in the joint world than COIN CAS or LTA strikes; and those other missions would be straight up impossible with single seat. We'll leave it alone; suffice to say I concur that more isn't better WRT crew but I think you're glossing over complexities.

Managing 4+ radios, monitoring ITC, vectoring GFC, tasking multiple sensors and de conflicting multiple stacked aircraft in the ROZ is what single seat fighters do every day? I don't ask that sacarstically, I'm honestly curious. Because when I work with fighters they are holding CAS high at E10 until needed, then they come inbound hooked to a SPI or LST. Maybe they're on SAT, but mostly one LOS along with interplane. Again, I'm not throwing spears; I work in a very specific niche and there's lots we don't ever see. So if you guys have been "extremely effectively" acting as TAC-A, FAC-A, sensor warden, etc. I just haven't seen it. Except a handful of times with an A10.... No other fighter.

Ehhh, not quite.

Dude spot on. I hardly remember UPT nor do I care what track a new guy/gal flew.

I remember the big deal when she flew the first female 2 ship of strikes in OEF. We all said the same thing then: who the F cares? no one whose opinion I respect.

Any possibility of AFSOC getting a similar program?

Light strike + ISR = serious damage to our current and near future enemy. Yup. But a lot of people have no idea that small planes are already crushing it regularly. We aren't looking at our current problem set logically, otherwise texatron or something similar would have already been bought. Hopefully some of our sharp dudes in HQ can convince the GOs!

Just to confirm, the F 35 cannot employ any of the weapons pictured in that article? And even carrying them negates LO?

A light attack aircraft that is cheaper than an A10, quieter than an A10, has a longer loiter than an A10, smaller MX footprint and less recognizable ramp profile, has more & better radios than an A10 and better off board data link and FMV capability and ability to match SPIs... Would be a very useful asset in our various wars. That said, the move to CANX the A10 appears to be all about politics and money, not logic.

Well said Hoss. I still believe my job is important to our nation and worthy of my best efforts.... And the pay is fine for my family. Why wouldn't I stay? Others have had a different career experience and reached different conclusions. No worries! Thanks for their help and good luck in the future. But airline pay carries no enticement for me over smashing terrorists, so of course I'll take extra $$ to continue doing what I planned to continue doing.

What is the typical sortie duration?

Great post HOSS. The political word games and outright dishonesty from our senior leaders on this and other acquisitions subjects is infuriating.

I love it! Looks like the program we were selling to the Yems before that place nose dived. Needs a different location for the sensor though.... And a different sensor. And BLOS off boarding, and data links. But it would do more for our fight of the last and next decade than the 22 or 35!

CH, has AFSOC always had the rift between strike and mobility?

I don't think the collapse in Yemen has direct relations with the war in Iraq, other than as another Iranian proxy fight. But maybe I'm too obtuse to see the connection. Regardless, cheers to the rescue folks.

This thread is about Iraq. The above story is about Yemen.

Please explain why you would CANX the U28.

In general I tend to agree with learjetter- keeping secrets won't help your boss help you. That said, the above observation is completely valid: some commanders take personal offense to subordinates career aspirations. In my mind, this is one of the biggest discriminators between good commandes and bad ones.

This is also a simplistic view; every select or candidate who opts out instead of attending (once matched to a school) is replaced by an alternate. And alternates have already been ranked lower than folks designated as primary to attend, systematically creating a situation at odds with your logic.

This is true but I don't understand it. Why are selects more competitive for the unconventional IDE programs while candidates almost always go to ACSC?