Former CSAF: Time to Cut A-10

Former Air Force Chief of Staff General Michael “Buzz” Moseley — famous for his advocacy of the F-22 during his 2005 to 2008 tenure — recently said it was time for the Air Force to say goodbye to the A-10.

“You got to let it go and progress in to the next generation,” said retired Gen. T. Michael Moseley…

The article recalls controversy from Congress over the Air Force’s proposals that might cut the A-10.

Moseley compared cutting the A-10s to cuts of other beloved aircraft such as the P-51 Mustang or F-86 Sabre when they became out of date but flying them was “still cool.”

General Moseley’s comparison falls short simply because the P-51 was, for all intents and purposes, “phased out,” not summarily cut. The P-51 flew on for years as newer and more advanced aircraft were fielded. Calls to cut the A-10 now, with the promise that the F-35 can probably do the job later, don’t compare to the more reasonable approach of letting an aircraft be replaced by attrition or obsolescence.

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