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Navy F/A-18C Hornet has officially retired from active duty.

Now this ages and saddens me. I remember well when the Hornet was first introduced, like just yesterday. Perhaps Canada will buy your old ones, we are good at buying cast-offs. Oh hush my mouth. :a1310:
 
Victory103 said:
Handed down to the Marines.
Click to expand...

Just like always. The tail-end link of a LONG supply chain. Not even a very big link.

Starts with the Air Force, then the Navy and Army, about equal. Finally, if we're lucky, the Marines. Not much left by then.

But hey, we're used to it, and manage to get our missions done with what we get. One of our talents :triumphant:

Have fun all!
Pat☺
 
PhantomTweak said:
Just like always. The tail-end link of a LONG supply chain. Not even a very big link.

Starts with the Air Force, then the Navy and Army, about equal. Finally, if we're lucky, the Marines. Not much left by then.

But hey, we're used to it, and manage to get our missions done with what we get. One of our talents :triumphant:

Have fun all!
Pat☺
Click to expand...

Yes, however, you guys got the Osprey V-22 first and your very own F-35 this time, kinda breaks the tradition. :biggrin-new:

I'm surprised the Marines didn't buy into the warthog (A-10), it's mission capabilities provided what the Marines require,

The A-10 was designed for close air support (CAS) of friendly ground troops, attacking armored vehicles and tanks, and providing quick-action support against enemy ground forces.

Why the USAF bought into it (A-10 Hog) when the Army or Marines didn't is beyond me.
 
gray eagle said:
I'm surprised the Marines didn't buy into the warthog (A-10), it's mission capabilities provided what the Marines require,

The A-10 was designed for close air support (CAS) of friendly ground troops, attacking armored vehicles and tanks, and providing quick-action support against enemy ground forces.

Why the USAF bought into it (A-10 Hog) when the Army or Marines didn't is beyond me.
Click to expand...

Probably something to do with landing on those boaty things the Navy ferryboats the Marines around on.

Ttfn

Pete
 
The Marines still use the F/A-18C. Maybe there are enough with low enough hours to form a training unit or another line squadron?
:ernaehrung004:
 
gray eagle said:
Yes, however, you guys got the Osprey V-22 first and your very own F-35 this time, kinda breaks the tradition. :biggrin-new:

I'm surprised the Marines didn't buy into the warthog (A-10), it's mission capabilities provided what the Marines require,

The A-10 was designed for close air support (CAS) of friendly ground troops, attacking armored vehicles and tanks, and providing quick-action support against enemy ground forces.

Why the USAF bought into it (A-10 Hog) when the Army or Marines didn't is beyond me.
Click to expand...

They didn't buy into the A-10 because they had the Harrier. It can be temp based at a forward position, and thus be available for CAS much sooner than an A-10. They can also move either very, very slow, or pretty darn fast, so more missions are available.

The A-10 was designed as a tank-killer, and the .30 cal Gatling tends to spray a bit. When we call for CAS, there are times we mean CLOSE, as in what's called "danger close", not just close. A .30 cal, massive round, in the wrong place, and the CAS mission is obviated.
The Harrier can be sitting in it's hide very near the front lines, and just pick up vertically and be at the target very, very quickly. Basically, it's a super-duper, very fast, combat helicopter.

All Harrier pilots must also take a turn as a FAC, crawling around in the dirt with the low-life enlisted, before they're allowed to fly the Harrier. Gives them a bit of perspective. You think you'd want an AF or Army Zero crawling around in the dirt with you? Not me, thanks. Most of them aren't even really certain which end of a firearm the bang comes from, whereas ALL Marines are basic riflemen first, and anything else, like a pilot, second.
I've still got a pretty good collection of rank insignia from both officers and enlisted. If you qual expert on the annual rifle-range requalification, it's tradition to give your coach a rank insignia. I've got rank tabs from a 1 star on down to PFC. I'd rather have one of them as a FAC than an AF pilot in a pretty uniform.

Aside from all that, the Harrier is designed for ship-bourne ops, the A-10 is not. The Marines are an amphibious force first and foremost. They'd have to land, move inland a ways, build a base for the A-10 to operate out of, import all the various ground equipment etc the A-10 needs, have the air wing types on the base, provide some tight security around the base, etc etc. The Harrier can fly off a ship, perform it's mission, and return to the ship. A mobile base with everything right there, already in place, and ready to go as soon as they arrive off the coast, to support the troopies. Nothing to build, equip, man, whatever. Great security, an ocean, too :untroubled:

So, I think, and it's my opinion ONLY mind you, that this is why the Marines chose the Harrier over the A-10. But heck, I may well be wrong... :indecisiveness:

Have fun, all!
Pat☺
 
[FONT=&quot]LT Andrew Jalali prepares for the official final active-duty flight of the last Navy F/A-18C Hornet assigned to Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 106 at Naval Air Station Oceana on Oct. 2. Aircraft number 300, assigned to VFA 106 at Cecil Field, Florida, completed it first Navy acceptance check flight Oct. 14, 1988. The aircraft has remained with the Gladiators for its’ entire 31 years of service. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Nikita Custer)[/FONT]
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PhantomTweak said:
They didn't buy into the A-10 because they had the Harrier. It can be temp based at a forward position, and thus be available for CAS much sooner than an A-10. They can also move either very, very slow, or pretty darn fast, so more missions are available.

The A-10 was designed as a tank-killer, and the .30 cal Gatling tends to spray a bit. When we call for CAS, there are times we mean CLOSE, as in what's called "danger close", not just close. A .30 cal, massive round, in the wrong place, and the CAS mission is obviated.
The Harrier can be sitting in it's hide very near the front lines, and just pick up vertically and be at the target very, very quickly. Basically, it's a super-duper, very fast, combat helicopter.

All Harrier pilots must also take a turn as a FAC, crawling around in the dirt with the low-life enlisted, before they're allowed to fly the Harrier. Gives them a bit of perspective. You think you'd want an AF or Army Zero crawling around in the dirt with you? Not me, thanks. Most of them aren't even really certain which end of a firearm the bang comes from, whereas ALL Marines are basic riflemen first, and anything else, like a pilot, second.
I've still got a pretty good collection of rank insignia from both officers and enlisted. If you qual expert on the annual rifle-range requalification, it's tradition to give your coach a rank insignia. I've got rank tabs from a 1 star on down to PFC. I'd rather have one of them as a FAC than an AF pilot in a pretty uniform.

Aside from all that, the Harrier is designed for ship-bourne ops, the A-10 is not. The Marines are an amphibious force first and foremost. They'd have to land, move inland a ways, build a base for the A-10 to operate out of, import all the various ground equipment etc the A-10 needs, have the air wing types on the base, provide some tight security around the base, etc etc. The Harrier can fly off a ship, perform it's mission, and return to the ship. A mobile base with everything right there, already in place, and ready to go as soon as they arrive off the coast, to support the troopies. Nothing to build, equip, man, whatever. Great security, an ocean, too :untroubled:

So, I think, and it's my opinion ONLY mind you, that this is why the Marines chose the Harrier over the A-10. But heck, I may well be wrong... :indecisiveness:

Have fun, all!
Pat☺
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Hi Pat,


You just reminded me of yet another non hand down AC that the Marines have, the Harrier. And yes, the use of the Hawker Siddeley, er,,,, AV-8 Harrier, is an ideal aircraft to fulfill some of the Marines missions. As you know, it's genesis was with the UK Air force (another strange irony). But back to the A-10, perhaps it was unfeasible to put a tail hook on it and folding wings; but don't know how the landing gear et al would hold up on a carrier and the extra costs to make it so.

Just like the F-18 Hornet, I think the A-4's were developed for the Navy and Marines The F-4's was something developed for the Navy; the Air Force was watching and signed on for them and being highly adaptable, adopted by the Marines (not handed down).

This is what my research tell me. :untroubled:
 
Zippy, BITE YOUR TONGUE!!!!!!

I despised Yuma from the first day I arrived until I could no longer see it in my rearview mirror. :banghead:

It's blisteringly hot, and that's in the middle of the night, in January! You can literally get second degree burns touching an aircraft on the flight-line without gloves on! Everything is covered in dust, abrasive, nasty, conductive dust. The power bills are through the roof, because APS sells a fair percentage of it off to California. Don't like it? Try and live without A/C in your house... :a1310:
Every animal and plant is poisonous, spiney, fanged, or a combination of the above. Heck, even the MICE are carnivorous!
It's dry, and dessicated. Even near what's left of the Colorado River, and that aint much, it's dry and dessicated. The Colorado is nearly deep enough to get your ankles wet. In the flood season! The animals, plants, and if they stay long enough, the humans, are dessicated.
I won't EVEN get into the proximity to the border, and the problems THAT causes.

There's even a rumor that Satan tried to take a vacation there, but it was too hot and nasty for him!

I wouldn't go back to Yuma unless I were kidnapped, and then I would fight until they killed me.

But heck, each to their own, I suppose! :indecisiveness:

Have fun, All. I am...AWAY from Yuma! Waaaaay, WAYYY away from Yuma.
Pat☺
 
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