"Bronco II" armed overwatch candidate for SOCOM

[chuckman]

They have also been looking at the A-29 Tuscano:

https://www.airforcemag.com/socom-an...rwatch-planes/

I fondly recall watching the old OV-10s flying over Jacksonville/Lejeune as a wee lad... a great aircraft that seems to come back around...

[Grand58742]

They have also been looking at the A-29 Tuscano:

https://www.airforcemag.com/socom-an...rwatch-planes/

I fondly recall watching the old OV-10s flying over Jacksonville/Lejeune as a wee lad... a great aircraft that seems to come back around...

Too bad the USAF killed the program it had and SOCOM had to pick up the slack.

[chuckman]

Too bad the USAF killed the program it had and SOCOM had to pick up the slack.

Agreed. To me it often seemed the AF did the CAS role holding its' nose so as to not get a bad taste in its' mouth, never really wanting to do it.

[Slater]

With the proliferation of drones, I'm almost surprised that aircraft like this are in the picture any more.

[ABNAK]

Agreed. To me it often seemed the AF did the CAS role holding its' nose so as to not get a bad taste in its' mouth, never really wanting to do it.

Yeah well, the Key West Agreement, although seen by some as misinterpreted, pretty much denies the Army a fixed-wing attack role. That was in 1948, so it's been 72 years and still hasn't been officially undone.

[ABNAK]

Double tap.

[ABNAK]

With the proliferation of drones, I'm almost surprised that aircraft like this are in the picture any more.

That's where the future lies no doubt. Maybe beef 'em up a little so they can pack more ordnance but the loiter times are really attractive to a unit needing CAS.

[Mauser KAR98K]

Bring back the Mohawk!

[chuckman]

Yeah well, the Key West Agreement, although seen by some as misinterpreted, pretty much denies the Army a fixed-wing attack role. That was in 1948, so it's been 72 years and still hasn't been officially undone.

Bring back the Mohawk!

As I recall the Mohawk was one of the AC that made the air force shit its' collective pants over the Key West Agreement. The air force wanted it both ways: the army not have armed fixed-wing AC, but really didn't want to do CAS, either (but when they did it, did it well a la A-1, A-7, A-10....). As I understood it the army had armed Mohawks in VN "for defensive purposes only" or something like that (wink wink), but was on station as CAS when needed.

My comments are not to say that the AF CAS pilots weren't/aren't great at what they do; everyone I needed, or met in person, embraced getting low and dirty.

[Slater]

The Army's AH-56 Cheyenne program, although unsuccessful, nudged the USAF into the A-X study which later became the A-10.