Today, almost no one is developing new attack aircraft for the Air Force, preferring to rely on fighter-bombers. Here are five ground attack aircraft that ground forces are afraid to see in the sky above.
One such aircraft has remained in service since the Vietnam War, while the other has not yet made a single combat sortie. Most are used in a variety of situations, which emphasizes the flexibility and versatility of their combat use. Air strikes against ground targets are still very important. Here are five ground attack aircraft that the ground forces hate to see in the sky above.
Have stormtroopers become an endangered species? Today, almost no one is developing new attack aircraft of this type for the Air Force, preferring to rely on fighter-bombers, although attack aircraft with their precision weapons do all the dirty work of providing close air support and isolating the battlefield from the air. But this has always been the case: the Air Force has always eschewed direct strike support and was more interested in swift fighters and majestic bombers. Many attack aircraft of the Second World War began their lives in design bureaus as fighters, and turned into attack aircraft only after the "failure" of the developers. Nevertheless, all these years attack aircraft skillfully and conscientiously performed one of the main tasks of aviation to destroy enemy forces on the battlefield and to provide support to their ground forces.
In this article, we will analyze five modern aircraft that perform very old tasks associated with striking ground targets. One such aircraft has remained in service since the Vietnam War, while the other has not yet made a single combat mission. All of them are specialized (or have become specialized) and are designed to deliver strikes against enemy troops in battle. Most of them are used in a wide variety of situations, which emphasizes the flexibility and versatility of their combat use.
A-10 "Warthog"
The A-10 was born as a result of rivalry between the branches of the armed forces. In the late 1960s, two competing programs emerged as a result of a prolonged battle between the Army and the US Air Force for a close air support vehicle. Ground forces favored the Cheyenne attack helicopter, and the Air Force funded the A-X program. Problems with the helicopter, combined with the good prospects of the A-X, led to the fact that the first project was abandoned. The second sample eventually turned into the A-10, which had a heavy cannon and was intended specifically for the destruction of Soviet tanks.
The A-10 performed well during the Gulf War, where it caused serious damage to Iraqi transport convoys, although initially the Air Force did not want to send it to this theater of war. The A-10 has also been used in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and has recently taken part in battles against ISIS. Although today the "Warthog" (as the military calls him affectionately) rarely destroys tanks, it has demonstrated its highest efficiency in counterinsurgency - thanks to its low speed and ability to patrol in the air for a long time.
Since the 1980s, the Air Force has tried several times to abandon the A-10. Military pilots from the Air Force claim that this aircraft has low survivability in aerial combat and that multi-role fighter-bombers (from F-16 to F-35) can carry out its tasks much more efficiently and without much risk. Outraged A-10 pilots, ground forces and the US Congress disagree. The latest political battle over the Warthog was so severe that one Air Force general declared that any US Air Force member who sent information about the A-10 to Congress would be considered a "traitor."
Su-25 "Rook"
Like the A-10, the Su-25 is a slow, heavily armored aircraft capable of powerful fire. Like the Warthog, it was designed to strike on the central front in the event of a conflict between NATO and the Warsaw Pact, but then underwent a number of modifications for use in other conditions.
Since its inception, the Su-25 has participated in many conflicts. First, he fought in Afghanistan, when Soviet troops entered there - he was used in the fight against the Mujahideen. The Iraqi Air Force actively used the Su-25 in the war with Iran. He was involved in many wars, one way or another connected with the collapse of the Soviet Union, including the Russian-Georgian war of 2008, and then in the war in Ukraine. The rebels using Russian anti-aircraft missile systems shot down several Ukrainian Su-25s. Last year, when it became apparent that the Iraqi army was unable to deal with ISIS on its own, the Su-25 gained attention again. Iran offered to use its Su-25s, and Russia presumably supplied urgently a batch of these aircraft to the Iraqis (although they could have been from Iranian trophies seized from Iraq in the 1990s).
Embraer's Super Tucano
Super Tucano looks like a very modest aircraft. It looks a bit like the North American P-51 Mustang that went into service over seventy years ago. Super Tucano has a very specific mission: to strike and patrol in airspace where no one resists. Thus, he became an ideal machine for conducting counter-guerrilla warfare: he can track down rebels, strike at them and stay in the air until the combat mission is completed. This is almost the ideal aircraft for fighting insurgents.
Super Tucano flies (or will soon fly) with more than a dozen air forces in South America, Africa and Asia. The aircraft helps Brazilian authorities manage vast lands in the Amazon, and Colombia helps fight FARC militants. The Dominican Air Force uses Super Tucano to fight drug trafficking. In Indonesia, he helps hunt pirates.
After many years of efforts, the US Air Force managed to get a squadron of such aircraft: they intend to use them to increase the combat effectiveness of the air forces of partner countries, including Afghanistan. Super Tucano is perfect for the Afghan army. It is easy to operate and maintain and can provide the Afghan Air Force with important advantages in the fight against the Taliban.
Lockheed Martin AC-130 Specter
At the start of the Vietnam War, the US Air Force felt the need for a large, well-armed aircraft that could fly over the battlefield and destroy ground targets when the Communists went on the offensive or when they were discovered. Initially, the Air Force developed the AC-47 aircraft based on the C-47 transport vehicle: they equipped it with cannons by installing them in the cargo hold.
The AC-47 proved to be very effective, and the Air Force, desperate for close air support, decided that a larger aircraft would be even better. The AC-130 fire support aircraft, developed on the basis of the military transport C-130 Hercules, is a large and slow machine that is completely defenseless against enemy fighters and a serious air defense system. Several AC-130s were lost in Vietnam, and one was shot down by MANPADS during the Gulf War.
But at its core, the AC-130 simply grinds ground troops and enemy fortifications. He can patrol endlessly over enemy positions, firing powerful cannon fire and using his rich arsenal of other means of destruction. The AC-130 is the eyes on the battlefield, and on top of that, it can destroy anything that moves. AC-130s fought in Vietnam, took part in the Gulf War, the invasion of Panama, the Balkan conflict, the Iraqi War and the operation in Afghanistan. There are reports of one plane being converted to fight zombies.
Textron Scorpion attack aircraft
This plane did not drop a single bomb, launch a single missile, or fly a single sortie. But one day he can do it, and this will make it possible to make fundamental changes in the combat aviation market of the 21st century. The Scorpion is a very heavy armament subsonic aircraft. It does not have the same firepower that the A-10 and Su-25 possess, but it is equipped with the most modern avionics and is light enough to conduct reconnaissance and surveillance, as well as strike ground targets.
The Scorpion has the potential to fill an important niche in the Air Force in many countries. For years, the Air Force has been reluctant to acquire multipurpose aircraft that perform several important tasks, but lack the prestige and gloss that are inherent in leading fighters. But with the cost of fighter jets skyrocketing, and with many air forces in dire need of stormtroopers to maintain order within the country and guard the borders, the Scorpion (as well as the Super Tucano) may be the right fit.
In a sense, the Scorpion is the high-tech counterpart of the Super Tucano. The developing country air forces can invest in both aircraft, as this will give them a lot of opportunities in terms of striking ground targets, and the Scorpion in some situations will allow air combat.
Conclusion
Most of these aircraft were completed many years ago. There are good reasons for this. The attack aircraft has never been particularly popular as an aviation class in the air forces of various countries. Direct air support and isolation of the battlefield are extremely dangerous tasks, especially when performed at low altitudes. Stormtroopers often operate at the junctions of units and formations and sometimes become victims of inconsistency in their actions.
To find a replacement for ground attack aircraft, the modern Air Force has focused on improving the capabilities of fighter-bombers and strategic bombers. Therefore, in Afghanistan, a significant part of the tasks of close air support are performed by B-1B bombers, created to deliver nuclear strikes against the Soviet Union.
But as recent battles in Syria, Iraq and Ukraine show, the stormtroopers still have important work to do. And if this niche in the US and Europe is not filled by traditional suppliers from the military-industrial complex, then (relative) newcomers like Textron and Embraer will.
Robert Farley is an Adjunct Professor at the Patterson School of Diplomacy and International Commerce. His research interests include issues of national security, military doctrine and maritime affairs.
