the F-35 might not be the best CAS solution, but running your numbers using the AGM-65 is a little behind. APKWS, GBU-12, JDAM, etc. are all in the mix of ordnance. For low-intensity COIN, something like the Super Tucano, or rotary wing CAS (especially when supported by UAS) is wayyyyyy cheaper than an A-10, can…

Actually, a bomb bay full of precision guided weapons with a CEP measured in just a few meters is PERFECT for danger close. I don’t have my JFIRE handy, but I bet you ten bucks the CEP for a laser guided bomb is smaller than an unguided 30mm round.

Well, who do you trust more? Congress, or the men and women who actually make the decisions about employing the aircraft in combat? Would you trust Congress to make decisions about which spacecraft NASA should choose to replace the shuttle? Or would you trust the scientists, engineers and NASA leadership to make that…

So many comments with no understanding of what the CAS mission actually entails, and mountains of anec-data on how effective a 30mm cannon is vs. a precision guided munition, or how tough the A-10 is against anyone shooting at it.

Iran will definitely not make an unprovoked attack, the main concern of US forces operating in close proximity to IRGCN forces is being misinterpreted, and the terrified 18 year old Iranian aboard the Peykaap pulls the trigger on his rocket tubes because he thinks that we are about to waste him. Our sailors are…

Buzz, I know you’re upset about the drone, I really do. As someone who has actually escorted carriers in the gulf, through the Strait of Hormuz and intercepted all sorts of Iranian boats, submarines and aircraft attempting to fly over, take pictures, and do whatever they plan to do... this drone has the capability to…

Thanks for this, Tyler. As someone who has run several CVN transits from the air, I really appreciate your take on this. Hopefully some of the folks who came here shouting about shooting back at the Iranians take something away from your article. If you ever have any questions about this stuff please let me know, I’d…

Funny story: ship security teams (at least on the boats I was stationed on) were called SCAT teams. A couple guys with machine guns, rifles and shotguns (shotguns work great for defending inside the skin of the ship).

Nailed it, man. Thanks for speaking some sense to the armchair admirals.

Escalating tensions between two countries that just started negotiating on good terms is a dumb idea. Especially when the IRGCN is known to operate as a loose cannon to try and discredit its own government and incite bad relations with the west. A drone with a camera on it poses exactly zero threat to a CVN. Really…

Sfferries nailed it. Part of my job is to provide security to carriers in the AG/Strait of Hormuz, and this is a total non-incident. I’ve intercepted boats armed with rockets, guns and torpedoes, helicopters, drones, all kinds of things, and honestly, this is so low on the list of scary things that can come at a…

We still practice it though... dead reckoning using a stopwatch, compass and speed.

Man that looks like a pain in the neck! I haven’t seen any reports of issues with our mounts, not sure if its a different design.

Looks like the same hoist as the MH-60R/S the Navy uses, either a Breeze-Eastern or Lucas-Western hoist. Rated for 600lbs, dual hook, 250' of cable.

Dude, you nailed it. The A-10 has this weird, mythological status that comes from... Video games? The cool looking gun on the front? Fighting poorly equipped tribesmen in Afghanistan is completely different from fighting on a battlefield with radar guided ADA, generation III+ MANPADS, and SAMS/IADS. Oh and by the…

THANK YOU. All the armchair generals here don’t seem to understand that “Close Air Support” doesn’t mean flying around at 200'. It just means operating in close coordination with friendly forces. If you’re talking about rapid response times and precision fires on target, a platform with a load of HELLFIRE or something…

it is when the rockets can go 8km.

The Navy does day and night transits, and a thorough threat assessment is done prior to each transit. The amount of ISR and other intelligence going on round the clock is staggering, there is very little going on that we don’t know about. While you are correct about the advantages we have operating at night, the…

Thanks man, it is cool that we all get to share experiences and points of view on sites like this! If you’re ever in San Diego, let me know, and I’ll see if I can give you a tour!

Can’t do that, you’re not in international waters in the strait, plus you’re surrounded by civilian traffic. That’s part of the whole reason we sail through there, to ensure Iran can’t close the strait off to shipping traffic, stranding all the nations that have ports in the AG.