NAVAL AIR SYSTEMS COMMAND, PATUXENT RIVER, Md. — The last U.S. Navy A-7 Corsair aircraft retired from service in Greece on Oct. 17, after 39 years of flying with the Hellenic Air Force (HAF) – the final operator of the aircraft. The Naval Air Systems Command’s Specialized and Proven Aircraft Program Office (PMA-226) supported the Foreign Military Sale and maintenance of the A-7s for the HAF beginning in 1975. The A-7 retired from U.S. Navy service in 1991, the U.S. Air National Guard in 1993 and Portugal in 1999. |
This is the type of aircraft we need: cheap, reliable, bomb truck. Maybe the A-4 fit that mold also, but smaller payload. Bet we will not see a similar type of aircraft in USMC service because it is not sufficiently sexy
ReplyDeleteare you kidding me? the A-7 was sexy but the A-4 was supermodel/porn star sexy! but you're right. we won't see it because Marine Air has visions of going downtown instead of doing the hard but totally unsexy work of close air.
Deleteits a shame. they're destroying the Corps and will eventually see themselves disbanded because of this desire.
We have many low flight hour S-3 Vikings in mothball, IIRC. I know they are bigger than required but they are paid for and very multi mission. Also use the same engines as the A-10 so if either platfrorm is scrapped we get parts for the other.
DeleteIf we had A-7s and A-4s in Afghanistan, we would have been doing the work for a lot less money.
ReplyDelete