So the Budget folks have a bipartisan agreement

It is hard to believe that they have hammered out an agreement. Does anybody know details?

It looks like the Republicans will agree to it. Hopefully, the Democrats will as well.

There has to be something controversial about it. Obviously, it doesn't have any significant cuts or taxes... or partisan politics would raise it's ugly head.

Eric wrote:

It is hard to believe that they have hammered out an agreement.  Does anybody know details?

It looks like the Republicans will agree to it.  Hopefully, the Democrats will as well.  

There has to be something controversial about it.  Obviously, it doesn't have any significant cuts or taxes... or partisan politics would raise it's ugly head.

Think that it's a typical DC agreement (if it passes) that puts off dealing with any major issues until 2015 and has a provision to not shut the government down for two years..In other words--kicking the can down the road for someone else to deal with it....Read a headline yesterday that stated that $23 Billion to be saved after spending $65 Billion....IF that is true...that is truly some government economics....

Not really a part of this budget agreement, but one of the decisions made by the Air Force really stinks.

They believe they are only in the business of precision bombing.  Therefore, aerial support of our guys fighting a battle are left to someone else.  One of the best ground-support aircraft, the A-10 Warthog is scheduled for retirement.  Extremely cheap to fly, extremely rugged and safe for the pilot (a hardened shell around the pilot), these tank killers did a tremendous job against Saddam Hussein's army in the Gulf War.

The Air Force doesn't give a damn about our soldiers on the ground.

Eric wrote:

Not really a part of this budget agreement, but one of the decisions made by the Air Force really stinks.

They believe they are only in the business of precision bombing.  Therefore, aerial support of our guys fighting a battle are left to someone else.  One of the best ground-support aircraft, the A-10 Warthog is scheduled for retirement.  Extremely cheap to fly, extremely rugged and safe for the pilot (a hardened shell around the pilot), these tank killers did a tremendous job against Saddam Hussein's army in the Gulf War.

The Air Force doesn't give a damn about our soldiers on the ground.

Just who or what groups make decisions like this?....Sec of Def....JCOS?....Cheap...rugged...and safe....so what's the downside?...

It doesn't fit their concept of their mission, which is to precision bomb targets. The A-10 carries an AWESOME gun.



This plane has a titanium shell around the pilots and can take a ton of punishment and still fly.

It is so well liked by servicemen, people are grumbling about the phase-out. The Air Force has issued a gag order on discussing the phase-out http://www.arizonadailyindependent.com/2013/08/28/air-force-demands-silence-on-a-10/

Copied of an article off the net:

Quote :

When American troops find themselves in precarious positions on the battlefield, there is no better sound than the rumbling engines of an A-10 bringing its 30 mm gun to bear. Pumping out up to 1,174 rounds with incredible accuracy, it can literally mean the difference between life and death for troops who are pinned down.

The A-10 “Warthog” is the world’s premier close air support (CAS) aircraft, tasked to deliver firepower to save American lives in close combat. The Warthog is powerful, survivable and cheap, and its unique capabilities have been crucial in every conflict since Desert Storm. Its home is right here at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base. I flew 325 combat hours in the A-10 and had the honor to command D-M’s 354th Fighter Squadron at home and in combat in Afghanistan.

The A-10 was originally scheduled to remain in the Air Force inventory until 2028 and be replaced by the F-35. But current fiscal constraints could result in the Warthog being phased out much sooner. The consequences of an early retirement are severe for national security as well as for Tucson’s economy and future. We need to pay attention.

The Air Force wants to replace the budget-friendly A-10 with the extremely costly F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. The F-35 has better air-air combat specs, but flies way too fast to support our ground troops. I cannot find the article that best describes the insanity of the Air Force decision, but I'll keep looking. I read it about a month ago.

The AN/GAU-8a 30mm Avenger seven-barrel gatling gun, mounted only on the A-10 attack jet, is a 30mm, 7 barrel gatling gun used primarily in the air to ground role as a soft target killer and tank buster.

This aircraft is used for close-air support in attacking ground threats such as armored tanks and vehicles, and also serves as a forward air control observer for sighting ground threats and directing air strikes against enemy targets.

The gun, mounted in the fuselage nose of the A/OA-10 Thunderbolt, is produced by [ex General Electric] Martin Marietta Armament Systems.

According to some sources, the GAU-8 fires 1,800 rounds per minute, with the higher 4200 rd/min rate having been deleted in the 1980s. However, the A-10 can only fire in high rate, which is 3900 rounds per minute. Find out more on the A-10 here http://www.a-10.org/

A-10 strafe run