US AIRSTRIKE On ISIS_ The A-10 Has Carried Out 11% Of US Airstrikes On ISIS, Even Though The Plane May Be Scrapped

BUSINESS INSIDER
AUSTRALIA

The A-10 Has Carried Out 11% Of US Airstrikes On ISIS, Even Though The Plane May Be Scrapped

Jeremy Bender
Wednesday, 21 January 2015
43 minutes ago




Despite multiple attempts by the US Air Force to retire the A-10 Warthog, the aircraft has carried out 11% of all airstrikes against ISIS in Iraq and Syria since Operation Inherent Resolve began in August.

Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James acknowledged the A-10′s contributions in the fight against ISIS during an address on Jan. 15. However, James was quick to point out that many aircraft aside from the A-10 are in engaged in the fight against the jihadist group as well.

“There are a number of strike platforms, of course, that are engaged in it,” she said. “[The] A-10 is one, but there’s also F-16s, F-15s, and so forth. They’re each contributing.”

Of these aircraft, the F-16 has carried out 41% of sorties, with the F-15E carrying out 37% of operations.

Defence News has noted an important caveat about these numbers. Whereas the F-16 has been engaged in operations against ISIS since August, the Air Force did not start deploying the A-10 until November.

That the A-10 was used in 11% of all operations in just three months signals the Air Force is frequently using the ageing aircraft against the group.

The A-10 is a heavily armoured aircraft that is slower and less manoeuvrable than a fighter jet but is perfectly suited to carrying out closer-quarter attacks against ground targets — the plane has been likened to a flying tank. The aircraft has a 30mm rotary cannon that fires armour-piercing rounds and is also equipped with surface-to-air missiles and cluster bombs.

Despite the Warthog’s effectiveness, the Pentagon is continuing its push to retire the aircraft by 2019 despite congressional opposition.

Follow Business Insider Australia on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn

***

Chân thành cám ơn Quý Anh Chị ghé thăm "conbenho Nguyễn Hoài Trang Blog".
Xin được lắng nghe ý kiến chia sẻ của Quý Anh Chị trực tiếp tại Diễn Đàn Paltalk: 1Latdo Tapdoan Vietgian CSVN Phanquoc Bannuoc . 
Kính chúc Sức Khỏe Quý Anh Chị . 



conbenho
Tiểu Muội quantu
Nguyễn Hoài Trang
21012015
___________
Cộng sản Việt Nam là TỘI ÁC
Bao che, dung dưỡng TỘI ÁC là ĐỒNG LÕA với TỘI ÁC