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2025-07-07 Science & Technology

A-10 Warthog Already Has The Capability To Use Laser-Guided Rockets To Shoot-Down Drones

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Posted by Skidmark 2025-07-07 00:00|| || Front Page|| [230 views ] Top

#1 Using the GAU as a Phalanx would be cool.

Posted by Skidmark 2025-07-07 04:28|| 2025-07-07 04:28|| Front Page Top

#2 A10s cost $19,000 per block hour to operate not including munitions expenditure. It’d be economic against some of the larger prop drones that run about 20k each but without significant airspace control they are a big target for enemy ADA. And it’s not like the USAF is going to allow the production line to ever be fired up again to replace them. Great aircraft for COIN but not for contested airspace

Posted by Gloluns Turkeyneck4904 2025-07-07 05:56|| 2025-07-07 05:56|| Front Page Top

#3 And it’s not like the USAF is going to allow the production line to ever be fired up again to replace them.

...Tell ya a story.

Normally, when a USAF aircraft ends its production run, the tooling is carefully packed, sealed, and sent out to Davis-Monthan AFB in Arizona (the famous 'Boneyard') for storage at USAF expense, in the event that production should start again. For how long really depends on the aircraft - for instance, the F-4 tooling stayed out there until about 2010.

But in the case of the A-10, USAF dug in its heels about reopening production, and actively (and in at least one instance, threateningly) dissuaded allies from buying any. The result was that the tooling was maintained for only about five years after production ended, then they told Fairchild that if they wanted it stored they'd have to pay for it.

To their credit, Fairchild kept it up for a couple years, but then - already in financial trouble - they proceeded to screw up a project called the T-46...and in their death spiral from that, one of the first things they did was scrap the tooling.

It was gone by the mid-90s.

Mike

Posted by MikeKozlowski 2025-07-07 06:40|| 2025-07-07 06:40|| Front Page Top

#4 Mike K., how hard/expensive would it be to take one apart and make a mold for each part using a 3-D printer?

Posted by trailing wife 2025-07-07 11:22|| 2025-07-07 11:22|| Front Page Top

#5 What is old is new again.

Posted by Procopius2k 2025-07-07 14:18|| 2025-07-07 14:18|| Front Page Top

#6
#4 Mike K., how hard/expensive would it be to take one apart and make a mold for each part using a 3-D printer?
Posted by trailing wife 2025-07-07 11:22|| 2025-07-07 11:22|| Front Page || Comments Top

Miss TW,

USAF has actually created a handful of small test parts on 3D printers, and every single component of a Hog could certainly be scanned. My understanding is that we're still a long way from being able to create entire aircraft worth of components yet. Keep in mind too that all of these pieces created so far are one offs that require a lot of handfinishing and testing.

By all means, we need to scan every single aircraft type we have, but as of right now the tech still isn't up to production line standards.

Mike

Posted by MikeKozlowski 2025-07-07 19:27|| 2025-07-07 19:27|| Front Page Top

#7 Now I know. Oh well, it was an idea.

Posted by trailing wife 2025-07-07 21:17|| 2025-07-07 21:17|| Front Page Top

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