hello

Comparing the A-10 and Tornado IDS doesn't make sense. The IDS Gr.4 is comparable to the F-15E. The A-10 can carry around 30 Mavericks or numerous Hellfires in CAS, 6 or more HARMs and Sidearms in SEAD, 4 SWs for self-defence against helicopters. Although a damaged A-10 would lose several sorties, the Tornado would never again do a sortie again with the same damage. The IDS can carry cruise missiles, ASMs and nukes and go supersonic but the F-15E can do that as well. If the target has low IR emission, WCMDs(Wind Corrected Munitions Dispensers) or Maverick TVs can be used. Against the F-15E, it has more or less equal strike capability, but the F-15E is better A2A.

By the way, even the A-10A could carry Paveways. Thats not a new PE upgrade. Although the A-10 can carry the B-61, how is it supposed to escape in time?

Anon

The A10C/PE package allows the A10 to target and guide it's own Paveways instead of just making 'basket drops' based on divorced Lazing signals.

The B-61 is a variable yield weapon that can be set at least as low as 5kt(i say at least as low because i know it can be set lower, i just dont know how much lower). The B-61 also has a drag chute and delayed impact fuze. If the terrain is right(ie intervening hills or mountain range, etc) yeah, the A10 could still use a B61. Hardly the ideal delivery platform, but it would work.

-{SpoonmaN}-

Seems to me that the A-10 is more of an 'attack' (Check the name for a start) aircraft, specialised for close air support, with the ability to carry out a bunch of other missions when needed. The Tornado seems more like a true strike aircraft designed for hitting strategic targets and penetrating defended airspace etc.
The two are meant to be used very differently and can't really be compared to eachother anymore than a Tomcat can be compared to a Blackjack.
And I'm told the JSF is going to replace the A-10, how the hell is that supposed to work?

The_Burning_Kid

The USAF origionally planned that but it never got through. But what they thought was that they could replace the A-10's armor and strength with the F-35's stealth capabilities, but even with that it it still prone to attacks. hence why they got rid of that plan a while back.

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urmomma158

i thnink the F 15E is the best strike aircraft considering its weapon selection( alot)
range,time to climb, etc

hello

The JSF is not going to replace the A-10, that's what the A-10C/PE program is. It upgrades the A-10As with modern smart weapons and targetting devices, allowing it to stay in service till 2028 or beyond.

B.Smitty

Hmm, well if we're not constrained to the list, how 'bout the B-2A? (Up to 40,000lbs of munitions to a 3000nm radius, unrefueled, with a high degree of all-aspects stealth. That's 80 500lb JDAMs - almost 9 F-15E equivalents.)

-{SpoonmaN}-

Like I said, the thread needs to be split between Close Air Support 'attack' and Strategic Deep Strike.

So A-10, MiG-27 etc. - Attack

F-15E, Su-34, Tornado etc. - Strike.

B.Smitty

That is a bit arbitrary, don't you think?

B-1Bs and B-52s have regularly provided CAS in recent conflicts, and as M21Sniper has pointed out, A-10s have performed interdiction/strike missions.

Plus, the Mig-27 is really closer in concept to the Tornado and F-15E than it is to the A-10.

Garry

Today Commander of Russian Air Force stated that by 2010 one of its regiments will change old Su-24 to Su-34. Su-34 are stricke aircraft made on Flanker's platform. It is expected that this unification would reduce operating costs.
http://www.airforce-technology.com/projects/su34/

hello

MiG-27 is an attack? I always thought that that was the Su-25/Su-39 Frogfoot.

Anon

Mig27 is a multirole fighter.

-{SpoonmaN}-

I thought it was a redisigned MiG-23 pitched for tank-busting and ground attack. And yeah the Frogfoot seems to be a pretty similar concept to the A-10.
By the way, how many A-10s are in service right now? I would have guessed the program would have been cut back a bit after the cold war, so how may does the USAF and USAFR retain?

Anon

The US has about 300 A10s still in the inventory. They're all being upgraded to C models.

The frogfoot is a copy of the Northrup A-9, loser of the A-X competiton that produced the A-10.

-{SpoonmaN}-

An interesting bit of trivia I notived the other day when I was watching the new version of 'War of the Worlds':
I'm pretty sure an A-10 can be seen flying in overhead when Ray (Tom Cruise) tries to talk his son Robbie out of joining up with a bunch of US Army and Marine personel who are fighting a pitched battle with a bunch of Alien Tripods over the hill. You also catch a glimpse of an F-22 and two F-16s, and three Stike Eagles can be seen shooting a few missiles at the Tripods once they get over the hill.
I guess Mavericks werent designed with 100m tall Alien War Machines in mind.