Originally Posted by Boudreaux Bob
Anyone care to argue the benefit of having A-10's giving Close Air Support rather than a Strategic Bomber?
The difference between that awesome Cannon raining HE rounds on the Attackers as compared to using GPS guided Bombs cannot be disputed.
If I was on the ground needing help I would want either an A-10 or AH-64 providing the help.
Like the following examples of superior CAS by A-10s?
Desert Storm:
A-10 strafes U.S.Marine OP in Khafji (daytime) (4 dead)
A-10 Strafes U.S.Marine Convoy FOR 4 passes (daytime)
A-10 shoots U.S. Marine LAV with Maverick (daytime) 7 dead
Washingtonpost.com: Fog of War - Post Archive (I know a Marine who was with that unit at that time)
A-10 attacks British Marines convoy of Warrior vehicles (9 dead)
Iraqi Freedom:
A-10 attacks British Blues & Royals Warrior vehicles (daytime) (1 killed 5 wounded)
A-10 attacks U.S. Marine AAV (daytime) (up to 10 dead - 18 killed, some by Iraqis, some by A-10, and some by both. In the end only 1 was A-10 only, and that is the only "official" BoB fatality)
Friendly Fire Marred Iraq 'Battle' - CBS News
A-10s (2) attack NATO forces, killing 1 Canadian soldier
And these by AH-64s?
Desert Storm:
AH-64 (3) attacked 2 US Army vehicles, killing 2 and wounding 6
Operation Desert Storm: Apache Helicopter Fratricide Incident
Afghanistan:
Of two helicopters called in to support operations by the British Grenadier Guards and Afghan forces in Helmand, the British WAH-64 engaged enemy forces, while the accompanying American AH-64D opened fire on the Grenadiers and Afghan troops.
And this by a RAF Harrier?
In Sangin Province, an RAF Harrier mistakenly strafed British troops missing the enemy by 200 metres during a firefight with the Taliban on 20 August 2006. This angered British Major James Loden of 3 PARA, who in a leaked email called the RAF, "Completely incompetent and utterly, utterly useless in protecting ground troops in Afghanistan".
Originally Posted by 5 Forward 6 Back
Anyone who knows what happened in this situation will appreciate that the same could have happened to an A10, F16, GR4, or any other aircraft in Afghanistan with the same type of weapons. It's nothing to do with the type, more to do with the actions.
Exactly - the list is long, and contains almost every aircraft type used.