A-10s Deployed to Take on the Islamic State by Jon Harper, Stars & Stripes
An attack aircraft that the Pentagon is trying to get rid of has been deployed to the Middle East to take on the Islamic State.
A squadron-sized element of A-10 Thunderbolts arrived in the region during the week of Nov. 17-21, according to the Air Force. The aircraft were previously being used in Afghanistan.
The move marks the first time the ugly but battle-proven jet, also known as the “Warthog,” has been thrown into the fight against Islamic State, which controls much of Iraq and Syria. The A-10 is a slow, low-flying plane that can unleash massive amounts of firepower against enemy ground forces while conducting close-air-support missions…
Comments
Syria has quite a few SA-17 Buks and SA-22 Pantsir S1 according to this article written by a USAF Major earlier this year. If we got heavily into engagements with Syria, the Russians probably would provide S-300s as well:
http://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/view/syrian-air-defe…
Both radar systems could down an A-10 rather easily. I also just read that Iraq has bought SA-22s and SA-24 MANPADs from the Russians that could fall into ISIS hands.
One potential use for A-10s could be as optionally-manned aircraft controlled by F-35s orbiting above. The F-35 pilot flying the A-10 would have a directional data link to it with the F-35 loitering on autopilot. Satellite data links would not work because Russia and China could take out satellites or jam their links. The F-35 would survive at medium altitude and could defend the A-10s against enemy fighters and engage/jam detected radar air defenses. The A-10s would not survive against surprise radar air defense engagements though so the optional-manning would have limited applicability against medium threats and greater.
The USAF is not exaggerating the radar air defense threat and the fact that many Middle East nations now have Buks and Pantsir-S1 shows these radar threats will only proliferate reducing A-10 survivability in more and more potential conflicts. The Army taking over A-10s would only force a trade-off between attack helicopters which fly and hover under radar and would require long runways closer to the fight subject to missile attack.