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A-10A: Big, green and mean, the large A-10 is the mud basher's dream. Armed with a huge 7 barrel 30mm Gatling gun and up to 16,000lb (7,265kg) of stores, the heavily armoured A-10 can destroy any known armoured vehicle. With docile handling and superb low speed turning performance, the A-10 is optimally suited for battlefield close air support, operating from rough forward operating bases. The deployment of newer SAM and AAA systems has, however, put its survivability in doubt and the USAF is looking at alternatives. (Paul Merritt)
Technology Explained – The Air Land Battle Part I
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The Air Land Battle Part I
USAF Close Air Support and Battlefield Air Interdiction fighting the air-land battle has been a problem for Western air war strategists and forces planners alike over the last three decades. This period has seen technological changes of major proportions in battlefield air defenses, aircraft and munitions and, as a result, there is considerable disagreement over what is actually the best strategy to pursue.
Historically, the first air force to seriously structure about the air-land battle was Germany’s Luftwaffe. It deployed the Junkers Ju 87 Stuka well before WW2. A precision but short legged dive bomber, the Ju 87 performed exceptional service in the opening phases of WW2, hitting battlefield targets identified by Wehrmacht ground commanders. In this sense it was the first true Close Air Support (CAS) aircraft.
Germany had committed itself to the strategy of Blitzkrieg, reflecting continental land warfare strategy of the twenties and thirties. To that effect it built up significant tank and armoured personnel carrier strength, and structured the Luftwaffe tactical forces accordingly. The strength of the Luftwaffe lay in its fast twin engined medium range bomber force which was designed to attack battlefield staging areas, communications and other essentially tactical targets. Used in this role it performed exceptionally well. Where it failed to perform to expectations was in the air war against Britain, which was somewhat more strategic in scope. The role of the HeinkeI He 111, Junkers Ju 88 and Dornier Do 17 is what is classed today as Battlefield Air Interdiction (BAI).
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