New F35 issue - no cannon pew pew until 2019 due to software glitch

[USRanger]

I really hate that plane.

[wpeters]

Seriously, using an expensive piece of kit like the F-35 as a tank-buster strikes me as, well, ill-advised at best.

edit - bah, no need for examples.

Ain't that. The truth.    F-35 main gunned Experts puzzled due to the fact that it is a stealthy plane. 

[MrRiplEy[H]]

Ain't that. The truth.    F-35 main gunned Experts puzzled due to the fact that it is a stealthy plane. 

They probably need to test it on a battlefield, after a dozen of losses some bright mind notices: Gosh, it's not invisible so people can aim and shoot it when it's low.

[PR3D4TOR]

What's the Finnish experience with ground support aircraft? Why is it that the USA is the only nation ever to buy and use the A-10 if it is so starspankingly awesome? I guess everyone else are morons who care very little of supporting their troops on the ground.

[MrRiplEy[H]]

What's the Finnish experience with ground support aircraft? Why is it that the USA is the only nation ever to buy and use the A-10 if it is so starspankingly awesome? I guess everyone else are morons who care very little of supporting their troops on the ground.

The Finnish army was neutered in the Paris peace accord. It even caused controversy when they finally decided to get air to ground capability for the hornets. The only war experience my country has (luckily) is from WW2. And I hope it keeps that way.

[bozon]

What's the Finnish experience with ground support aircraft? Why is it that the USA is the only nation ever to buy and use the A-10 if it is so starspankingly awesome? I guess everyone else are morons who care very little of supporting their troops on the ground.

I don't know about the Finns but not every army has the same needs. Remember that the US air force has never fought a war on US border nor is it expected to, which is unlike most other airforces. Besides, buying fighter planes is more about politics and diplomacy than real military needs.

[XxDaSTaRxx]

I really hate that plane.

+1 +1 +1

[PR3D4TOR]

I don't know about the Finns but not every army has the same needs. Remember that the US air force has never fought a war on US border nor is it expected to, which is unlike most other airforces. Besides, buying fighter planes is more about politics and diplomacy than real military needs.

Why haven't Israel bought the A-10? If there ever was a nation that needs CAS aircraft it is Israel. It's the only place besides WWIII Germany were the A-10's short range and slow speed wouldn't really matter much.

[Scherf]

edit: pah - no good can come of it...

[oboe]

As a former programmer, I think its unfair and inaccurate to call neglecting to code the necessary software a "software glitch".  This lapse is a fault of the project managers, not the programmers.   In fact, this oversight SHOULD have been caught at  multiple levels.  I wonder if its just intentional for some reason.   

[bozon]

Why haven't Israel bought the A-10? If there ever was a nation that needs CAS aircraft it is Israel. It's the only place besides WWIII Germany were the A-10's short range and slow speed wouldn't really matter much.

To be honest - I don't know, but I can guess.
The IAF relies on multi-role planes and force multipliers in order to generate a large volume of activity in all its roles. Single purpose planes to not fit well with that plan. The IAF support to ground troops is focused mostly on interdiction in a defensive scenario rather than true CAS. Geography and the very high density of action dictates that and allow other means of support to come into play. The extreme density of action also means a lot of short range AA threats that do not allow any plane to linger near the front, not even the A10.

[PR3D4TOR]

You did make the Kfir. A dedicated ground attack aircraft, and not much multi-role capability without a radar. The Kfir is about as different from an A-10 as you can get. Clearly the IAF had a very different idea of what a ground attack aircraft should be than the USAF/US Army. And that is kinda my point. Only the USA and Russia have "modern sturmoviks". Everyone else seems to shun them.

[Vulcan]

Four years to map Button 0 to Fire Primary?

I don't buy it.

Yeah ahh umm button 0 is used for PLAY/PAUSE on the iPod sorry.

[artik]

You did make the Kfir. A dedicated ground attack aircraft, and not much multi-role capability without a radar. The Kfir is about as different from an A-10 as you can get. Clearly the IAF had a very different idea of what a ground attack aircraft should be than the USAF/US Army. And that is kinda my point. Only the USA and Russia have "modern sturmoviks". Everyone else seems to shun them.

Actually Kfir was designed as air-superiority successor of Nesher (Mirage V) - that is why it has no radar (it was considered mostly useless for daylight fighters).

However IAF received F-15s and than F-16s shortly after Kfir entered the service so it moved to "attacker" role.

IAF had no classic CAS planes... today this role is probably taken by drones and helicopters.

[PR3D4TOR]

That's strange since the Mirage 5 was a radarless ground attack version of the Mirage IIIE. It was designed specifically to meet an Israeli request for a ground attack jet.