John B. on Wed, 23 Sep 2015 10:26:45 +0700
typed in rec.crafts.metalworking the following:
On Tue, 22 Sep 2015 19:23:14 -0500, Tim Wescott
wrote:

On Tue, 22 Sep 2015 19:54:53 -0400, Ed Huntress wrote:

This is an interesting article that may explain why the Air Force
decided to drop the A-10 Warthog:

http://arstechnica.com/information-t.../09/air-force-
fighters-will-carry-laser-cannons-cyber-weapons-by-2020/

To my knowledge, with few exceptions the air force -- even when it was
part of the army -- has had little enthusiasm for ground support.

Current doctrine is that the army gets to play with rotary wing craft but
doesn't get to fly fixed-wing. So, by that doctrine the Air Force gets
the A-10. But by their own leanings, they don't want to do what it does,
so they've been trying to rid themselves of it for years.

But -- I'm a life-long civilian, so what do I know?

I'm not sure that is correct as the A.F. has been engaged in ground
support for it's whole existence.

Which doesn't mean that the USAF, the USAAF, or the Air Corps, or
the Aviation Section of the Signal Corps had really like the tasking.

The entire purpose of the armed C-47's (Puff the Magic Dragon) was ground support and I was even
bought several beers by Army guys when they found out that I was in
the organization. Our big brag was that if we got there before They
got through the fence that we never lost a camp.

But I might add that the Army was very jealous of their helicopter
rights and privileges. We built two Hueys with twin mini guns and
rocket pods at Nha Tang and had to go to the Army for help in adding
the rocket pods and the fact that the Air Force was "building armed
helicopters" went all the way to headquarters MAAGV.

Yep. If the Army can't have fixed wing aircraft, then the Air
Force does _not_ get rotary wing aircraft.

Turf wars, as bad as on a Union job.
--
pyotr filipivich
"With Age comes Wisdom. Although more often, Age travels alone."