The US is finally moving forward with an assessment designed to prove the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter is up to the task of replacing the battle-tested A-10 Warthog jets, but some are calling the tests a “farce.”
“The tests, as designed, are unlikely to reveal anything of real value about the F-35’s ability to support ground troops in realistic combat situations—which the F-35, as the presumptive replacement for the A-10, must be able to demonstrate,” an analysis published by the Project on Government Oversight (PGO) said.
Air Force leadership is in a difficult position, hard-pressed to replace the aging A-10 close air support attack plane with the astronomically expensive F-35. But that means successfully demonstrating that the F-35 can outperform the A-10 in a close air support fly-off.
There is no way that this test, according to the PGO article, would be able to demonstrate that.
“A close air support test should involve large numbers of ground troops in a highly fluid combat simulation in varied terrain, across many days. It should test the pilot’s ability to spot targets from the air in a chaotic and ever-changing situation. The test should also include a means of testing the program’s ability to fly several sorties a day, because combat doesn’t pause to wait for airplanes to become available.
But the Air Force scheduled just four days’ worth of tests at desert ranges in California and Arizona. And, according to sources closely associated with the fly-off, not a single event includes ground troops, or any kind of fluid combat situation, which means these tests are hardly representative of the missions a close air support aircraft has to perform.”
“In other words,” the article went on, “the test was designed by someone with a vested financial interest in the F-35 program, rather than by people whose primary interest is its performance in combat.”
The tests tilted the results in favor of the F-35 in a number of ways, including by testing only against highly visible targets, thus masking the more restricted view from the F-35 cockpit. The F-35 also sports surprisingly bad video quality and infrared imaging resolution, compared with the high-definition of the A-10’s instrument panel display, coupled with the plane’s sniper and lightening pods.
“On a broader level, testing only against easy-to-see, static, non-reactive targets artificially confirms the Air Force’s delusional notion that future close air support can be successfully conducted by planes flying at 15,000 feet and 450 knots relying on supposedly accurate, digitally transmitted target coordinates,” the article lamented.
poor uncle samuel, he will never learn.
Yes, the test was a farce, and everyone knew it would be. There was inadequate money to do a full test. The facts are clear on their face — the A-10 is out of production and will not be brought back to production. The A-10 would not survive on a modern battlefield, and several relatively low cost counter-insurgency aircraft are under development now for low-level conflicts. There was no reason for these tests except for political points. I would not have spent one dollar on the tests.
The same as china bullying the small country and took advantage of grabing land and sea!!????????????
Daniel 12:4
But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.
Matthew 24:6-8
And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows.
Our fights is more critical than all wars on earth.
Ephesians 6:12
For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
2 Corinthians 4:18
While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.
That is our fight.
Any time soon this will happen.
Revelation 20:4-6
And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.
Jesus will reign in a thousand years. All God’s people will rise.
1 Thessalonians 4:16-17
For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
All kings and president will bow to Jesus and give this to his disciples.
Revelation 2:27
And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father.
Then those kings and president that will not follow christ are subject to slay.
Luke 19:27
But those mine enemies, which would not that I should reign over them, bring hither, and slay them before me.
On that day there is peace on earth all evils are subject to slay
.