i'm actually not at all impressed by this airplane. why make it manned? an unmanned properly sized, jet UAV will have a bigger bomb load can fly longer and will be longer ranged while giving the same capability.
if this is touted as the next A-10 then my response is that we already have it in service...only better with the Predator UAV.
UAVs are still a big fat question mark vs. a technically savvy adversary. Even Iran (with Russia's help I'm assuming) has been able to hijack and crash them.
Plus you have Afgan/Iraqi insurgents who figured out that we weren't even bothering to encrypt the video feeds. So they just threw some cheap gear together so they could watch those feeds themselves. Maybe that problem has been fixed, but it shows how sloppy we've been with our drone development programs. Even as something as obvious as signal encryption wasn't included in the original spec.
So we'd better have a backup program or two with real human pilots.
ok, then lets dig down a bit deeper. what advantage does the Textron airplane offer that the F-35 doesn't with regard to CAS in a high threat environment. or even better stated, how is the Textron offering better than what the USAF and Marines doing with regard to providing CAS in high threat areas?
answer? the Textron offering is just as vulnerable and PROBABLY more vulnerable than the high cost solution found with the F-35 without bringing any increased capability in ANY AREA.
question. what does the Textron offering bring to the table that we already don't have with the Predator UAV? answer? NOT A DAMN THING!
the A-10 is a unique asset that had potential in the maritime environment (especially littoral areas) that were never explored, has survivability against high tech threat areas and is cheap enough to make it a game changer in low threat areas. the Textron does nothing to advance the field...its just a light attacker that must fly high to survive with a bit more ISR capability.
The Scorpion will be cheaper to operate than either the A-10 or F-35, and is a new aircraft - more opportunity for retired USAF officers at Textron. But it is not a solution for the US except for COIN operations where it *might* be more capable than the A-29 or AT-6, or OV-10. Definitely not a replacement for the A-10C. The whole idea being floated by the USAF is just lip service to deflect attention from the USAF apparent abandonment of the A-10 / CAS mission to support the Army.
Large caliber guns are heavy, and this is not a heavy jet. They could engineer mini-gun pods for shooting up technicals, but nothing heavy enough for AT work. This is more of a COIN aircraft.
exactly. This is not for the Air Farce, this might make it into SOCOM, but not into the regular inventory in spite of what some Air Farce dickhead with stars on his shoulder says at a CAS conference about A10 successors. That is a deliberate smoke-screen to make killing the A10 more palatable. IT might be suitable as a jet trainer, but it is not intended for front-line use in a contested environment.
This is also not a drone replacement. Countries need infrastructure and technology for drone. They need secure comlinks, satelite feeds, etc. Most countries don't have those so this is NOT going to replace the Predator in the US inventory.
This is for a country like Nigeria to hunt down Boko Haram or Colombia to take on FARC or Brazil to patrol the Amazon. At $3000 per flight hour, this is for countries who can't afford huge logistics costs associated with a BAe Hawk or KAI T-50 or Alenia Aermacchi M-346 Master
Gheeeey!
ReplyDeletePerfect for small countries like Estonia,Bulgaria and Romania with their small budgets.
ReplyDeletei'm actually not at all impressed by this airplane. why make it manned? an unmanned properly sized, jet UAV will have a bigger bomb load can fly longer and will be longer ranged while giving the same capability.
ReplyDeleteif this is touted as the next A-10 then my response is that we already have it in service...only better with the Predator UAV.
They need to hire better animators... much better.
ReplyDelete(facepalms) Agreed. So, so agreed.
ReplyDeleteUAVs are still a big fat question mark vs. a technically savvy adversary. Even Iran (with Russia's help I'm assuming) has been able to hijack and crash them.
ReplyDeletePlus you have Afgan/Iraqi insurgents who figured out that we weren't even bothering to encrypt the video feeds. So they just threw some cheap gear together so they could watch those feeds themselves. Maybe that problem has been fixed, but it shows how sloppy we've been with our drone development programs. Even as something as obvious as signal encryption wasn't included in the original spec.
So we'd better have a backup program or two with real human pilots.
ok, then lets dig down a bit deeper. what advantage does the Textron airplane offer that the F-35 doesn't with regard to CAS in a high threat environment. or even better stated, how is the Textron offering better than what the USAF and Marines doing with regard to providing CAS in high threat areas?
ReplyDeleteanswer? the Textron offering is just as vulnerable and PROBABLY more vulnerable than the high cost solution found with the F-35 without bringing any increased capability in ANY AREA.
question. what does the Textron offering bring to the table that we already don't have with the Predator UAV? answer? NOT A DAMN THING!
the A-10 is a unique asset that had potential in the maritime environment (especially littoral areas) that were never explored, has survivability against high tech threat areas and is cheap enough to make it a game changer in low threat areas. the Textron does nothing to advance the field...its just a light attacker that must fly high to survive with a bit more ISR capability.
Early marketing had the option of a gun on these planes, looks like they have totally abandoned that idea in all their recent posts.
ReplyDeleteThe Scorpion will be cheaper to operate than either the A-10 or F-35, and is a new aircraft - more opportunity for retired USAF officers at Textron. But it is not a solution for the US except for COIN operations where it *might* be more capable than the A-29 or AT-6, or OV-10. Definitely not a replacement for the A-10C. The whole idea being floated by the USAF is just lip service to deflect attention from the USAF apparent abandonment of the A-10 / CAS mission to support the Army.
ReplyDeleteNo, its the worst possible thing.
ReplyDeleteIts a displacement activity.
The only thing worse than no aircraft is aircraft that don't do the job and cost a fortune.
Things like this were obsolete in 1960.
They wouldn't last the first few minutes in a war against Russia.
Large caliber guns are heavy, and this is not a heavy jet. They could engineer mini-gun pods for shooting up technicals, but nothing heavy enough for AT work. This is more of a COIN aircraft.
ReplyDeleteexactly. This is not for the Air Farce, this might make it into SOCOM, but not into the regular inventory in spite of what some Air Farce dickhead with stars on his shoulder says at a CAS conference about A10 successors. That is a deliberate smoke-screen to make killing the A10 more palatable. IT might be suitable as a jet trainer, but it is not intended for front-line use in a contested environment.
ReplyDeleteThis is also not a drone replacement. Countries need infrastructure and technology for drone. They need secure comlinks, satelite feeds, etc. Most countries don't have those so this is NOT going to replace the Predator in the US inventory.
This is for a country like Nigeria to hunt down Boko Haram or Colombia to take on FARC or Brazil to patrol the Amazon. At $3000 per flight hour, this is for countries who can't afford huge logistics costs associated with a BAe Hawk or KAI T-50 or Alenia Aermacchi M-346 Master