{"id":34036,"date":"2018-05-18T17:19:14","date_gmt":"2018-05-18T17:19:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2018\/05\/18\/light-attack-aircraft-why-stop-there\/"},"modified":"2026-08-07T22:43:16","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T22:43:16","slug":"light-attack-aircraft-why-stop-there","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/air\/2018\/05\/18\/light-attack-aircraft-why-stop-there\/","title":{"rendered":"Warthog replacement anyone? Former Air Force officers say to think beyond light attack aircraft"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">WASHINGTON \u2014 As the Air Force contemplates whether to buy a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/air\/2018\/05\/08\/air-force-targets-weapons-integration-logistics-in-second-round-of-light-attack-demo\/\" title=\"\" class=\"\" target=\"_blank\">new fleet of light attack aircraft<\/a>, a duo of former Air Force officers are pressing for an even wider revival of the attack aircraft inventory that could include a light reconnaissance plane or even a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/digital-show-dailies\/farnborough\/2016\/07\/11\/air-force-faces-rocky-road-ahead-for-replacing-the-a-10\/\" title=\"\" class=\"\" target=\"_blank\">purpose-built replacement to the A-10 Warthog<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Fielding a light attack aircraft, or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.airforcetimes.com\/news\/your-air-force\/2018\/02\/20\/a-light-attack-aircraft-fleet-could-it-change-the-fight-or-put-lives-at-risk\/\" title=\"\" class=\"\" target=\"_blank\">OA-X<\/a>, should only be the Air Force\u2019s first step, wrote retired Lt. Col. Michael Buck and retired Maj. Gen. Lawrence Stutzriem, both of the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies, in a paper on light combat aircraft released May 18.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The service could also benefit from pursuing follow-on aircraft that could fill roles that continue to be in high demand by Central Command, such as a light ISR aircraft or R\/A-X; a replacement to the venerable <a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/air\/2018\/03\/23\/fy18-budget-deal-yields-life-sustaining-new-wings-for-the-a-10-warthog\/\" title=\"\" class=\"\" target=\"_blank\">A-10 Warthog close air support plane<\/a> or A\/X-2; or an attack version of the future T-X training jet called A\/T-X.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIf we develop a long-term program of continuous development, this I think will pay off in spades, with the revitalization of the attack enterprise that allows the fourth and fifth-gen high-end assets to work more on near-peer threats,\u201d Buck said during a Friday roll out of the paper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Embarking on an attack aircraft renaissance would be a huge change for the Air Force, which has largely backed away from attack plane procurement in the last 35 years. <\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/news\/your-air-force\/2017\/10\/17\/skyraider-2-the-air-force-may-bring-back-vietnam-style-combat-plane\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"199\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AIR-skyraider-super-tucano-web.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">Skyraider 2? The Air Force may bring back Vietnam-style combat plane<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">The Air Force\u2019s legendary A-1E Skyraiders proved their mettle in the skies over Vietnam. Air Force leaders now see a similar need for a low-cost, slower-moving aircraft for missions in low-threat environments.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">During the Vietnam War, the United States built up a fleet of attack aircraft, which it largely maintained into the 1980s even as numbers of bombers and fighter jets decreased, wrote Mike Benitez, an Air Force major, in a <a href=\"https:\/\/warontherocks.com\/2017\/06\/attack-the-renaissance-of-the-air-force-tribe\/\" title=\"\" class=\"\" target=\"_blank\">2017 essay for War on the Rocks<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That all changed when the Cold War and the Gulf Wars ended. In 1991, the Air Force retired the A-7 and A-37 and cut its A-10 Warthog inventory, leaving the remaining Warthogs as the only purpose-built attack planes left in the service.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">However, there are signs that the Air Force could warm to the idea of building the attack aircraft inventory back up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Jim Dunn, Air Combat Command\u2019s deputy director of plans, programs and requirements, stressed on Friday that the service is focused on the light attack experiment, and that there are currently no plans to proceed with future demonstrations of a light ISR plane or the other concepts floated by Buck and Stutzriem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cBut a good idea is a good idea, and [ACC commander] General [Mike] Holmes clearly supports the idea of moving forward with light attack; he\u2019s been on the record [that] there\u2019s also interest in a light ISR platform that\u2019s out there,\u201d Dunn said during the rollout. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cSo I don\u2019t think there\u2019s anything that\u2019s off the table \u2014 we will continue to look at [it]. But right now we have no programs of record that are doing this.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Holmes first pitched the idea of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/digital-show-dailies\/air-force-association\/2017\/09\/21\/light-isr-the-air-forces-next-experiment\/\" title=\"\" class=\"\" target=\"_blank\">testing a light ISR plane<\/a> last year, but so far the Air Force has not moved forward with the concept.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Buck envisions a light ISR aircraft, or R\/A-X, as a \u201csomewhat developmental\u201d plane exemplified by the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/digital-show-dailies\/dubai-air-show\/2017\/11\/14\/fresh-from-saudi-demo-scorpion-jet-shows-off-in-dubai\/\" title=\"\" class=\"\" target=\"_blank\">Scorpion jet produced by Textron<\/a>. He pointed to Scorpion\u2019s fuel efficiency, speed and large payload bay as key characteristics for an R\/A-X.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"729\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/4061719.jpg.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-73112\" srcset=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/4061719.jpg.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/4061719.jpg.jpg?resize=300,182 300w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/4061719.jpg.jpg?resize=768,467 768w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/4061719.jpg.jpg?resize=1024,622 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Air Force Research Laboratory\u2019s AgilePod is shown mounted on the wing of the Textron Aviation Defense\u2019s Scorpion jet. On May 18, retired Lt. Col. Michael Buck pointed to Scorpion as an example of what the Air Force could field as a light ISR aircraft or R\/A-X. (David Dixon\/U.S. Air Force)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">An R\/A-X will help the Air Force satisfy its reconnaissance requirements \u2014 currently only 30 percent of combatant commander demands for ISR are being met \u2014 and \u201cgive us the ability to scale our intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance as necessary,\u201d Buck said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cAnd if we can get to this in four to five years and produce them in sufficient quantities, and continue along the model of continuous improvement and development, particularly with open mission systems architecture allowing rapid upgrades and responsive changes to avionics capabilities, that would be greatly beneficial.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The service could also modify its future training jet, the T-X, and use it as a future attack plane called A\/T-X, Buck said. The Air Force is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/air\/2017\/10\/16\/t-x-trainer-award-not-likely-until-at-least-spring-2018\/\" title=\"\" class=\"\" target=\"_blank\">set to select a T-X design<\/a> this summer from a pool of competitors that include a Lockheed Martin-Korea Aerospace Industries team, a Boeing-Saab team and Leonardo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And eventually, when the Air Force gets ready to sunset the A-10, it can field a direct replacement or A\/X-2, he said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">One of the competitors in the light attack experiment has already pushed back on the idea that multiple lines of effort need to exist. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Taco Gilbert, Sierra Nevada Corp.\u2019s vice president of integrated tactical solutions, was asked about the light ISR opportunity during a phone call Monday with reporters. Sierra Nevada Corp and Embraer are currently engaged in the light attack experiment with the A-29 Super Tucano.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cYou don\u2019t have to add [ISR], it\u2019s inherent in the [A-29] platform,\u201d he said. \u201cThe aircraft will accept any 15-inch sensor that is out there, and certainly we have swapped sensors around between experiments and different customers, tailoring whenever it is required. \u2026 Certainly, that points to another mission set that the aircraft has.\u201d <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>An attack aircraft revival may be coming soon to the Air Force.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":57794,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_acf":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":7,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_smg_distribution_targets":{"4":{"categories":["your-air-force","news","daily-news-roundup","newsletters","left-column","home","middle-column"],"primary_category":"your-air-force"}}},"categories":[7,160,36],"tags":[],"coauthors":[3384],"class_list":["post-34036","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-air","category-daily-news-roundup","category-newsletters"],"acf":{"subheadline":"","legacy_arc_id":"LVTHZ64SWNGI3HHFVUFE3OHYGQ","arc_canonical_url":"\/air\/2018\/05\/18\/light-attack-aircraft-why-stop-there\/","remove_feature_photo":false,"is_sponsored":false,"subtype":"","redirect_url":"","disable_inline_ads":false,"native_logo_pretext":"Presented By:"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.0 (Yoast SEO v28.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Warthog replacement anyone? 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Former Air Force officers say to think beyond light attack aircraft\",\n\t            \"datePublished\": \"2018-05-18T17:19:14+00:00\",\n\t            \"dateModified\": \"2026-08-07T22:43:16+00:00\",\n\t            \"mainEntityOfPage\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/air\\\/2018\\\/05\\\/18\\\/light-attack-aircraft-why-stop-there\\\/\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"wordCount\": 896,\n\t            \"commentCount\": 0,\n\t            \"publisher\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/#organization\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"image\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/air\\\/2018\\\/05\\\/18\\\/light-attack-aircraft-why-stop-there\\\/#primaryimage\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"thumbnailUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/4095422.jpg.jpg\",\n\t            \"articleSection\": [\n\t                \"Air Warfare\",\n\t                \"Daily News Roundup\",\n\t                \"Newsletters\"\n\t            ],\n\t            \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t            \"potentialAction\": [\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"CommentAction\",\n\t                    \"name\": \"Comment\",\n\t                    \"target\": [\n\t                        \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/air\\\/2018\\\/05\\\/18\\\/light-attack-aircraft-why-stop-there\\\/#respond\"\n\t                    ]\n\t                }\n\t            ]\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"WebPage\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/air\\\/2018\\\/05\\\/18\\\/light-attack-aircraft-why-stop-there\\\/\",\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/air\\\/2018\\\/05\\\/18\\\/light-attack-aircraft-why-stop-there\\\/\",\n\t            \"name\": \"Warthog replacement anyone? 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