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US Sends "Tankbuster" Jets To Europe Over Russia Fears After Germany Says "A Large Scale War Could Develop"
Karl-Georg Wellmann, a lawmaker in Angela Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union has warned that, despite its efforts to avoid arms being provided to Ukraine, Germany "will no longer be able to stop weapons deliveries from from the U.S. and Canada." Almost too coincidental to these comments, CNN reports, the U.S. Air Force is sending its A-10 "tankbusters" back to Europe in order to "increase rotational presence in Europe to reassure our allies and partner nations that our commitment to European security is a priority." As Wellmann ominously concludes, seemingly confirming Putin's warning yesterday that if Kiev aims at a military solution, war will never end, "a large-scale war could develop out of that."
As Bloomberg reports, Germany May Be Unable to Stop Weapons to Ukraine, Lawmaker Says
Karl-Georg Wellmann, a lawmaker in Angela Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union and chairman of the German-Ukrainian parliamentary group, tells newspaper Tagesspiegel that Germany won’t be able to halt U.S. weapons deliveries to Ukraine to fight Russian-supported separatists.
"We will no longer be able to stop weapons deliveries from from the U.S. and Canada" after rebel gains in the strategic town of Debaltseve in eastern Ukraine, Wellmann tells Tagesspiegel in interview
"A large-scale war could develop out of that," Wellmann says
Wellmann says further economic sanctions against Russia are "unavoidable," Tagesspiegel says
And so, as CNN reports, The US is sending in the Warthogs...
The U.S. Air Force is sending its "tankbusters" back to Europe.
The service's European Command said this week that 12 A-10 Thunderbolts would be deployed to Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany, as part of Operation Atlantic Resolve, which was formed after Russia's intervention in Ukraine over the past year.
"The Air Force is increasing rotational presence in Europe to reassure our allies and partner nations that our commitment to European security is a priority," Lt. Gen. Tom Jones, vice commander, United States Air Forces in Europe -- Air Forces Africa, said in a statement.
The Air Force said besides operating in Germany, the A-10s will be forward deployed to other partner nations in Eastern Europe. U.S. forces have operated out of bases in Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia and Poland, among others, in the past year.
The A-10, also known as the "Warthog," was designed in the 1970s to support ground troops in Europe against the tanks and armored vehicles of the then-Soviet Union. Though the jets can carry a variety of bombs and missiles, they are best known for their nose-mounted, seven-barrel 30 mm Gatling gun that can fire almost 4,000 rounds per minute, enough to quickly blow apart a tank. The planes are also durable, with the pilot protected from ground fire by a wrapping of titanium often called "the bathtub." And they are designed for easy maintenance in battlefield areas, with interchangeable parts for the right and left sides of the aircraft.
* * *
Not exactly the act of a peace-seeking force following a "truce"? But then again... Washington was not included in the Minsk Summit so apparently feels free to stir things up explicitly.
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Exactly right billmill. Don't waste your time providing details since the trolls here are out in force at this point.
So we argue on the two in the ring when the bout shouldn't occur in th first place. Yes, the warthog is badass. Is your bunker badass too? Will your city get the flash or will you be lucky? This whole thing is stupid. So talk up our incredible war tech and the cocksuckers itching to use it. I'll just sit stateside and hope to God my daughters don't die. Fuck you and them.
I don't think your last sentence came out the way you intended.
I'll just sit stateside and hope to God my daughters don't die. Fuck you and them.
How should it come out? Oh, and please tell me about all the awesome death machines we have........
I usually enjoy your stuff, but this war fantasy shit pisses me off. It does nothing for you or I.
A lot of people like the A-10 and aviation tech in general. Sorry if that offended you in the way that it did. And calling out bullshit info from people talking out their ass is part of Fight Club. I think what we are doing in the Ukraine is stupid and I'm against it like you are. My comment was about sentence structure and...oh never mind. It's not important.
Yes, I do not want anyone fucking my daughters...like ever. I plan on moving us to a remote island in the very near future. No worries, I actually wanted the original comment on the commenter you commented on, but you had replied. Fight Club. I enjoy being able to tell people to fuck off and getting the same in return.
Dupe
Billmill, I am not a russian fanboy, I am a fucking american, and still trying to figure out why we would be fighting in the Ukraine in the first place. Unlike the rear echelon assholes, I saw real action and it is UGLY.
Nevertheless, if the USSA escalates, all your tactical commentary means nothing if directed EMP and/or an ultra modern air force faces off against your 1970's warthog and friends. Do you think the Ukies will be helping, when they can't even will battles against a ragtag militia?
In fact, the mushroom clouds engulfing the globe will render this discussion irrelevant.
So, Bill: just to clarify the battle-plan here . . . is it the idea to take out all Russian radar sites (on Russian soil) that are a potential threat, so that the A-10s can roam freely and shoot up the apartment blocks in east Ukraine? Obviously no rebel manpads will be allowed to fire at them whilst they are doing this because of the cease-fire, so that's that covered. Good plan, what could possibly go wrong?
Billmill - not sure why you are getting down votes for telling facts. However, my concern is that the US military has become comfortable with being allowed several undisturbed months of preparation in order to assemble the weapons, men, and munitions to fly a decent strike package. I have real doubts that the Russians will stand and wait for the airlifts to bring all this into place in the Ukraine. And I doubt the EU is going to stand by and let the US keep trickling in more of these weapon systems -- knowing what the outcome will be.
@billmill. and yet with much of this magical, technical prowess evident even in the Viet Nam era, a peasant militia still gave the USA a hiding to nothing. A hiding which bankrupted the USA and set in the rot that is responsible for the financial mess the world is in today. My whole life, Americans like you talk tough, but you haven't delivered since WW2. The Ukrainian rebels would have your Warthogs on toast, or rather, a blini. With sour cream.
You have to go easy on@billmill, they been fed on a hollywood diet and are conditioned to deliver oral bravado.
40 yr old planes. nothing has progressed since then?
look at the aegius disaster of a couple of months ago.
maybe there are some parallels here.
prowlers and growlers and weasels can't be neutralized by jamming?
this ain't what it was in viet nam. i do hope some sensible minds will see that.
and how many are they sending?
all they're doing is putting those countries where they are to be based on a hit list.
but then europe was never that smart anyway.
they won't figure it out until it's too late.
and that includes the mutti merkle crowd.
talk about fools.
A10 is good aircraft
but need applied to defense of US at the US borders only
not for exceptional posture
Did you ever notice US air losses Vietnam?
and that is under reported btw...
problem is the ones who is aggressors not understanding the enemy
some have not learned that...
calling some Russian fan boys falls into that catagory of arrogance
A Kyiv Post newspaper reported on 22 August 2014, that since the beginning of the aerial operations in the East, 18 Ukrainian air Force aircraft were lost, with 16 shot down or destroyed on the ground and 2 crashed for other reasons. Those lost due to hostile fire included: 10 helicopters (five Mi-8s and five Mi-24s), six combat planes (one Su-24, two Su-25 and two MiG-29) and three transport planes (a An-26, a An-30 and an Il-76)
This without the rebels having an air force! And, of course, the UAF hasn't been back since. Wonder why not?
UAF losses so far
"Rebels" were Russian military with Russian equipment.
Probably another 'indispensable exceptional' mentality that thirsts for war to feed the Western neo-liberal debt and chaos monster.
So, you only think in terms of ethnics?
Some Ukrainians are russian, right. Some are fighting for Kiev, if I'm not mistaken. Not everyone is Galician and - luckily - not all Galicians think as you do - because if they did they would put the EU to even greater shame.
Meanwhile in Kiev http://tass.ru/en/world/778483
I didn't think they would mothball those warthogs.
The A-10 can't fire all 4000 cannon rounds continuously because the recoil would slow the plane to stalling speed. With that small limitation, is 10 04 12 planes going to tip the global balance of power on the steppes? Probably not, so this is a "signal" in the current negotiations.
We should ask HRC and JKerry where that reset button with Russia is now set.
Ahhhhh, we haven't exactly been successful fighting rag-tag, part-time armies but THIS time, we're going to kick ass - yeahhhhhh, righttttttt.... USA State Dept., CIA, and Pentagon need to merge into one entity - "Morons r Us"...Fucking Up at the speed of light...
"The Air Force is increasing rotational presence in Europe to reassure our allies and partner nations that our commitment to European security is a priority,"
Far as I can tell, the only threat to European Security is that the United States has suckered Europe (NATO / EU) into doing its bidding.
Dumb and dumber.
"Note to rest of world...Americans are not the US Government. Well, some are, but most just want to live in peace and be left the fuck alone. "
When will you, the people of the US, rise up and throw this insane government of yours out?
It is way overdue.
re "Note to rest of world...Americans are not the US Government..."
Maybe so - but their craven inaction in reigning-in the Mad-Dog NeoCons still makes them complicit.
"Americans" will, accordingly, be held responsible - and then, make no mistake, held accountable.
The Magic Community Organizer-in-Chief is putting the finishing touches on his plan to sell the A-10s to Syria while invading Stalingrad in the middle of winter.
He has sent Uncle Joe Biden to distract SECDEF Ash Carter's wife long enough to slip the plan through unnoticed.
This is just posturing. Bringing a dozen A-10s out of mothballs isn't even a threat to the rebels - let alone Russia. The UAF still has plenty of Su-25s left but is too shit-scared to send them into the east.
not plenty a few are operable only very few
This is serously old news.
Threat Journal reported on the deployment of A-10s almost a week ago.
Someone STILL holds a grudge against Germany for the Third Reich, can you guess who? Stupid Germans, falling for it again!
If you think the economic policies of the 'EU Collective' are fragmented -- wait until you see their defensive strategy in action. Bsically there is NONE, as war is 'unthinkable' and 'war budgets' are spent on social programs instead. The Warthogs will be lucky to get exactly one (1) flight, if they are not destroyed on the ground by any initial assault. Any that make it into the air will eventually land at an unprotected air base, and get destroyed.
The US and EU 'war machines' are set up to attack mode only. They are not prepared 'to be attacked'.
One of them had to make an emergency landing at Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam last weekend. I was wondering then "hmmm, what is that plane doing there?".
Anyway, something is up. 30mm gun enough to destroy a tank? It will considering the ammo is DU. Fun for future generations to come suffering from cancer and genetic disorders.
Germany could halt these planes by closing their airspace for them of cours. Hihihi, how silly of me...
F the EU taken to a new level.
These are to fight ISIS who Germany doesn't seem to be doing jack-shit about other than to provide a great refuge in Germany for terrorists because the Policei don't have the balls to enter their neighborhoods.
Also Mr. Putin, show me these weapons we are giving Ukraine. I've seen all the ones you have given the rebels (or are operated by your troops fighting alongside the rebels). I have seen one MRE wrapper all through your war on your nightly propaganda TV channel 1.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/09/14/us-ukraine-crisis-heletey-idUS...
http://rt.com/news/185132-nato-ukraine-aid-support/
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2014/09/15/world/nato-countries-begun-a...
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2014-08-07/it-begins-canada-send-military-...
I agree we should not be screwing around in the Ukraine. All I try to do is shed some light on real capability. If anyone thinks the Air Force would not commit what ever it takes to escort an A-10 strike in to include ECM support and
counter air like a Raptor you simply don't know what your talking about. After 22 year (retired now) of hands on ECM/ Avionics and planning we will not commit aircraft just to get guys smoked. Our crews are to valuable and to hard replace.
God forbid if these ass hats in Washington get us involved in a shooting war but if they did the majority of the people would be amazed of what your USAF is really capable of all bullshit aside.
So, Bill: just to clarify the battle-plan here . . . is it the idea to take out all Russian radar sites (on Russian soil) that are a potential threat, so that the A-10s can roam freely and shoot up the apartment blocks in east Ukraine? Obviously no rebel manpads will be allowed to fire at them whilst they are doing this because of the cease-fire, so that's that covered. Good plan, what could possibly go wrong?
I get your point billmill, and that is my concern. Of course the US Air Force intends to win, and so do the Russians. This will not end well for either side.
Russia has the best anti aircraft defenses in the world....These obsolete relics life expectancy in combat with Russian ground forces would be measured in seconds...and the US is aware of that. Empty posturing for show only at no cost to US.
actually, they are bait. warthjogs are great when your opponent doesn't have an air force, like the rebels. if the warthogs swoop in and start killing the rebels in a maasacre russia will send anti aircraft weapons and advisers or, even better, an air force. the usa will escalate this until they get the desired response.
it doesn't seem the neoconutz have considered the consequences of losing which is why the spectre of nuclear war is in the air.
Wrong: the rebels can take out an A-10 as easily as they dealt with the Su-25s of the UAF. No air force required.
you miss the point. the idea is to have a few warthogs shot down with "russian supplied weapons" to encourage the local usa populace to want to kill all russians.
these pilots are bait.
Wouldn't it be easier to bring ISIS into the east of Ukraine?
Bait sounds feasible, agreed, but I think you're overstating the western strategists here who only know how to play the wag-the-dog game.
as i predicted. the usa will not stand for peace. the zioconutz only know war at your expense for their profit.
germany and france are the key to the near future of the world. the new brics banking system must be stopped. the usa needs europe to stop it. if france and germany stand up to the usa the game is over. if they acquiesce to the usa the world will have hell to pay.
in whatever scenario the people of the usa will have a miserable time because the dollar loses in the end.
I wonder how an A-10 would fare against a thrust vectored plane like an SU-27/35...?
Doesn't matter: the rebels can take out an A-10 as easily as they dealt with the Su-25s of the UAF with manpads. No air force required. This A-10 story is just posturing bullshit.
A10 need applied to US Southern Border
You might want to check the size of russian AF as compared to US for starters.
We will never know as all of the SU-27/35 will have already been swept from the sky dolts. Now wipe that putin off your chin son your parents have to live in this town.
All who fantasize about war can fuck off.
This is insanity. This is akin to Russia sending a squadron of warplanes to Mexico near the US border. These twelve A10 warthogs could be taken out in less than 10 minutes by Russian missile systems. It's a stupid decision and obviously not something Barry would have thought up on his own. This must be the work of Victoria (fuck the EU's) husband and the rest of the warmongering neocon cabal running our government.
neo-cons running our govt, bwahahahahahahaaarg. they are neo-liberals my friend...they war just like the neo-cons, quit taking the red vs blue pills
War!
As american zombies drive around aimlessly looking for the cheapest chinese iThingy.
War, huh yeah
What is it good for?
Absolutely nothing, oh hoh, oh
War huh yeah
What is it good for?
Absolutely nothing, say it again y'all
War, huh good God
What is it good for?
Absolutely nothing, listen to me
Oh, war, I despise
'Cause it means destruction of innocent lives
War means tears to thousands of mothers eyes
When their sons go off to fight and lose their lives
I said
War, huh good God y'all
What is it good for?
Absolutely nothing, just say it again
War whoa Lord
What is it good for?
Absolutely nothing, listen to me
War, it ain't nothin' but a heartbreak
War, friend only to the undertaker
Oh war, is an enemy to all mankind
The thought of war blows my mind
War has caused unrest within the younger generation
Induction, then destruction who wants to die
War, good God, y'all
What is it good for?
Absolutely nothing, say it, say it, say it
War, uh huh, yeah, huh
What is it good for?
Absolutely nothing, listen to me
War, it ain't nothin' but a heartbreaker
War, it's got one friend that's the undertaker
Oh, war has shattered many young man's dreams
Made him disabled bitter and mean
Life is much too short and precious to spend fighting wars these days
War can't give life it can only take it away, ooh
War, huh, good God y'all
What is it good for?
Absolutely nothing, say it again
War, whoa, Lord
What is it good for?
Absolutely nothing, listen to me
War, it ain't nothin' but a heartbreaker
War, friend only to the undertaker
Peace love and understanding tell me
Is there no place for them today
They say we must fight to keep our freedom
But Lord knows there's got to be a better way
War, huh, good God y'all
What is it good for?
You tell 'em, say it, say it, say it, say it
War, good Lord, huh
What is it good for?
Stand up and shout it, nothing
War, it ain't nothin' but a heartbreaker
Once A 10s show up over UK airspace Putin shuts off gas to all NATO countries. Game over.
Yeah, an all-out sanctions regime coupled with the loss of all revenue would certainly mean "game over" for Putin.
And once those a 10s are in Europe, assuming "Putin shuts off gas" how long do you think rail lines and pipelinne would actually be allowed to operate to supply Kaliningrad? Ouch...
Besides, shutting off the gas wouldn't hurt the Baltics, Iceland, UK, or little pain would be felt in the "old Europe" where dependence is less than 20% of all (on average with Germany at 20%) imported energy.
If you read the fine print, Germany and UK are stating that they simply cannot continue to be able to stop Canada and US from sending arms... it AIN'T NATO, it's the 'Muricas that are going to be ripping stuff up.
As far as Manpads the bad boy out there is in my estimation is the SA-24 it is pretty bad ass much like our Stinger. Against choppers and light skinned transports quite an issue against a heavily armored jet not so much.
During the first desert war we lost 3 Thunderbolts 2 to SA-13 and one to an SA-9 there were multiplied manpad hits probably SA-14 but those jets made it back for repair. A couple of a-10s were shredded by auto guns one if which was so shot up it was flying with one engine and manual revision control yet it still are it to a recovery base
since 2003 we have lost one A- 10 that I know of best guess was an Iraqi Roland.
I hope no one thinks that I'm saying our jets are invulnerable to the contrary Air commanders know that we will take losses it just that we have equipment and even better , superior training and in depth knowledge of our crews in employing our weapon systems. Red Flag over the years and the school house at Nellis is a god send in developing and improving tactics and training. It these activities that keep our losses to a minimum.
Obama Abandons Hundreds Of US Special Forces In Ukraine
According to this report, the US troops currently under rebel siege are an ad hoc group of American Special Forces belonging to the Vicenza, Italy-based 173rd Airborne Brigade, CIA Special Activities Division (SAD) troops, and elite mercenaries from the notorious US private security firm Academi (formerly known as Blackwater).
MoD knowledge of these US forces participating in the Ukrainian war, this report notes, has been longstanding since last years US Army Europe-led Rapid Trident exercise in western Ukraine that comprised over 1,300 NATO troops, and Germany’s BILD newspaper reporting that their intelligence sources estimated that over 400 Academi mercenaries were involved in this conflict too.
Even worse, this report warns, NAF rebel scouts are reporting their having spotted NATO tanks inside the encirclement (Cauldron) at Debaltseve. According to their information, the possibility is strong that up to 25% of the 5,000-8,000 trapped Ukrainian army may be NATO.
http://www.whatdoesitmean.com/index1839.htm
Hee hee... "abandons'...
If Kiev isn't lying, and hasin fact removed all Ukrainian government troops from Debaltseve, then there are a few thousand highly trained and effective terrorist troops about to "melt" into Donbas to do "whatever" they went there to do in the first place.
Russia and China are the founding member states of The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) an intergovernmental economic and military alliance of mutual security.
http://www.sectsco.org/EN123/
Shanghai Cooperation Organization Forces:
Active personnel 5,325,000
Reserve personnel 7,675,000
Available personnel for immediate activation and Conscription 192,039,958
Total of personnel 205,039,958
The economic and numerical might of China, together with the military prowess and vast nuclear arsenal of Russia.
Add them both together and you still come up short moron. BTW what would China have to gain? They trade much more with western europe than Russia, it would be a shitty deal for China all around.
In a world war which is what this would become [before it goes nuclear] China would have a lot of reasons to operate within the SCO. After all it isn't Morocco beefing up its presence near and around China.
Praise be to China and Russia right? Go ask the real people how they feel about it. Quit worshiping communist dictatorships. I quit worshiping my Amerikan communists a while ago, you should do the same for yours!
11.02.2015 - 5:41
The militia of Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) have data that Ukraine’s armed forces are preparing an attack on the city of Donetsk, DPR Defense Ministry spokesman Eduard Basurin said Tuesday.
"A few tactical groups have been redeployed in the vicinity of Orlovka," the Donetsk news agency quoted Basurin as saying.
Basurin also commented on the shelling of a government-controlled mining town of Kramatorsk saying Kiev shelled the city.
If true, this would be very worrying because Donetsk is close to the contact line and well within even short range ordnance against a very soft and innocent civilian populous.
I hope Kiev do not make the mistake of attacking civilians now after Minsk-2 seems to be finally producing some calm.
I believe a UN resolution is also now in place, so any violation/escalation would now require direct action by the UN security council for peacekeeping troops to enter and seperate the armies.
The town of Debaltsevo has all but fallen, Ukrainian forces are now beating a retreat toward the south of the pocket
All my sources confirm that Debaltsevo is mostly in Novorussian hands and that the junta forces are in full retreat to the south of the pocket. All the top Novorussian brass was on hand today, including Kononov, Motorola, Givi, Mozgovoi and Zakharchenko as were many tens of Ukrainian prisoners.
It appears that the junta forces were unable to provide the kind of resistance they showed in Peski, and that make sense because in Peski they were not surrounded and they had the fire support of Ukrainian forces just north and west of them. This time the cauldron is too deep and the "lid" too strong. See map for yourself:
http://russia-insider.com/en/military_ukraine_opinion/2015/02/18/3603
The Satanistic secret cabals are going to take us to moar war! what a farce this is!
Jesus Christ is your ONLY Salvation!
Yes, I am a sinner of great magnitude, I am trying to do better.
It's all about that Greater Israeli Project.
ROFLMAO, right, it's all the Jooo's fault, get your head out of your ass fella! breathe....
A-10 is a 1990s close-in ground attack aircraft which is slow and not as good as the older SU-25 in terms of speed, maneuverability and flight ceiling, but is more heavily armed. Love the sound of its gatling gun – like a deafening fog horn! Very useful against soft military targets, in imperialist campaigns, without ground based SA cover, for example 3rd world militaries, working for countries to be taken over.
Against Russian ground forces however, this platform would be quickly neutralised by numerous Russian SA missile systems from some distance away, even MANPADS at 5km to 7km would do it, assuming it continued to function after jamming from 20km away (and that's battlefield jamming). If anti-tank missiles could be launched by the A-10 within range, again jammed and microwaved in flight, these might not affect the latest reactive armour, and might be disrupted by battlefield counter-measures, but even if not, a Pantsir-SM, from some distance, can shoot down fast and ballistic missiles and larger shells in flight, with a choice of ordnance from a single co-networked platform and these have now been added to Humvee sized vehicles, with stealthy retractable weapons.
OK for Desert Storm and maybe Afghanistan, but waging war has moved on a lot in 20 years. The Russians will be happy to come up against A-10s so will welcome their deployment with many wry smiles.
Those plans flew in Vietnam and were quite effective against Russian rocket systems, you are not correct. Besides, those ground based rocket systems will be toast before they fire off the first shot.
I am not defending in any way US hegemony, just stating some tactical things.
All sides are in the wrong here, ALL of them! Who suffers, the regular Joe on the ground, who has nothing to do with it!
Vietnam ??????????? What last year ?
I was wrong, it was conceived during the war, and I missed the concevied part, I stand corrected. Sorry.
But they are tough buggars and can bust tanks and such effectively.
The A-10s and SU-25s were not introduced during the Vietnam war by either side. 1977 for the first A-10s and 1981 for the Su-25s; Vietnam war was 1955 to 1975.
The A-10s noisy gatling gun reminds me of German Stukas (the dive bomber/fighter) used mainly during the Spanish civil war, which had a loudspeaker to terrify the enemy, but was pretty useless in combat.
Me thinks A-10s will be useless against Russian ground forces, whatever underslung armaments they can attach.
Sorry but the entire fleet has been upgraded in the mid 2000's with counter measures for the russian counter measures. Popular Mechanics did a nice piece on the subject.
Do you have a link we can read?
http://www.popularmechanics.com/military/g227/6-most-lethal-aircraft-in-...
http://fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/ac/a-10.htm
Second link is much better
Thanks for the links, but no upgrades are detailed of relevance.
The main drawback of the A-10 is that the gatling gun is not radar guided so random, sporadic targeting only and the aircraft is comparatively slow, so susceptable to ground missile attack and kinetic ordnance, esp 20 and 30mm AA. Aircraft of all kinds are no match for modern fragmentation AA rounds and missiles, that can penetrate 6mm armour within 10m easily.
Survivability is about stand-off and counter-measures, the idea being a weapon system does not get near you before you deploy yours. A-10 does not fit this 21st Century screenplay, would have been really helpful in WW2 but not since.
Love the gatling gun though!
Sorry Winston, but neither of those links appear to show that an A-10 would be any harder to shoot down than an Su-25. Any more links?
in the mid 2000's ?????????
What 2050 AD ?
popular mechanics?
Don't worry there will be not war yet.
no war yet? where have you been, we are at war now!
Ukraine isn't flying planes over East Ukraine because it can't, they will be shot down. Russia will ensure that the militias have what they need to down any A-10's that are stupidly sent to try to attack them.
Hopefully these A-10 pilots will be more capable of spotting Russian tanks to "bust" than those who have being trying to do so for nearly a year now: Kiev forces, journalists, OSCE monitors, spy satellites . . .
Well, now that the war is over, and the MINSK agreement honoured, surely the US and the EU should now lift the sanctions? Or could it be that this whole thing, as far as the US is concerned had nothing to do with peace in Ukraine?
Will these warmongering globalists ever stop? The world is not buying the lies any more. The days of the "controllers" setting the global agenda are over. We are in a new paradigm now, in which an expectant global population are ready for something else - an equitable world without fraud, corruption, and exploitation.
The answer is disengagement from the current paradigm -you just imagine the new world and it will manifest before your very eyes -in time.
I aggree that the a-10's will be quickly taken out by modern missile systems.. they'll do some damage thou.. if they gun and run a bit..
Ultimately this looks like a propaganda play.. send in the legendary a-10's.. Cavalary to the rescues! they get blown out of the sky in short order..
CNN: OH NOES! they smashid my toys! they needz our bigger guns! stop Nutella! ban kittens!
Or the airforce has finally got a way to get rid of all those a-10's they don't want anymore..
but whatever they do that Pantsir S1 system would tear them a new asshole..
anyhow I'm interested now in who they'll find left behind in Debaltseve..
Doesn't matter what they "find left behind in Debaltseve". If it doesn't make CNN it can't be true. Probably be some Russian Int. guys who are so good they can pass as Americans.
The US Air Force is overrated. It is no longer the top-tier force that it was in 1991, or even the force it was in 2002-03.
Overdependence on technology at the expense of hands-on warfighting skills has bred overconfidence, and ineptitude. Smashing successes against poorly trained and led Third World foes over the past 20+ years has removed from American military thinking what it's like to suffer very high casualties over an extended period. Post-WWII dominance has removed from American consciousness what it's like to suffer crushing military defeats. Lastly, no American living today understands what it's like to have your home, your town, or your country laid waste, as happened between 1861 and 1865.
To the contrary, there are no more Col. Robin Olds flying for USAF. The men in charge now are more concerned with career advancement, and that means an inordinate amount of time and resources spent on women's rights, gay rights, sexual harrassment training, political correctness, and many other forms of government-mandated indoctrination. Senior officers are more politically-oriented than combat-oriented now, and more than one generation has come to think of warfare as a video game experience. They don't know, or even consider, what US military failure looks like. There is a dangerous and growing level of US military ignorance, and arrogance, in play.
Someday, somewhere, America's misunderstandings about what war really is and what war really requires are going to intersect with the growing number of enemies US foreign policy is making, and has made. Such an intersection will prove catalclysmic.
And, that day may be drawing very near...
The bear will put its paw down like it always has.
Obama and the neocons need to wake up