A-10 to the Ukrainians? Recent comments by the Air Force secretary suggest a way out for the USAF from A-10 ownership

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We should send Ukraine a few anyway. Just to familiarize their pilots with American cockpits.
Who am I kidding? Send them so those guys can just screw around with them and have a blast in a safe rear area. Be the first on the block with A-10s!
While we're at it, send a dozen F-16s too. We got so many of them, we're using them for target practice! What the heck. Give them a few. See what they do with them. Ukraine has pleasantly surprised NATO so far.
 
Time is of the essence in the current situation - transferring A-10s, F-16s, J-39s or any other non-Russian types would not only take pilot training, but ground-crew and maintenance training as well. There is also the need to work up a material support supply line, too.

This all takes time to get in place, something that is a precious commodity at the moment.

I'm sure that in time, the Ukraine armed forces will transform into a very potent member of NATO with the most current hardware, perhaps even with the F-35.
 
The day the UAF needed the A-10 was with that huge traffic jam of Russian kit north of Kiyv back in Feb-Mar.

Now, I'm sure they'd prefer F-16s. What's taking the US and NATO so long? Is it still a matter of training and maintenance/parts?

 
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Now, I'm sure they'd prefer F-16s. What's taking the US and NATO so long? Is it still a matter of training and maintenance/parts?

It really has not been a long time.

Seriously. I'm not sure you understand the logistics and training involved to get a pilot trained so they are proficient in an aircraft. These aren't single engine Cessna's that anyone with half a brain can fly. They are complex aircraft that take time to become proficient in.

Then you have the parts logistics that has to be worked out.

Then you have to train the maintenance personnel. They aren't working on a Ford Fiesta for crying out loud.
 
Fair enough. So, what is a realistic date we can see UAF F-16s? Presumably there are UAF pilots and ground and parts/logistics personnel in Europe training now on the F-16 and preparing a supply chain and maintenance/support plan. Do you think we'll see UAF F-16s before end of year, or before the one year anniversary in Feb 2023?
 

Maybe. You have to remember that pilots typically get hundreds of hours on training. Maintenance personnel training can take months. My H60 training took 6 months, and that was not a complex fighter jet.
 
What's the point of this post beyond a sarcastic dismissal? I'm here to learn, not be turned away. Why not instead respond to my questions above?

Relax, don't get your nickers in a bunch. It was meant to be a post in gest. Laugh a little, and stop being so uptight.

I was already posting it as a follow on to my other post while you were creating your post. You were just faster because i was searching for the animated gifs.

Notice, I answered your other post as well.
 
Now, I'm sure they'd prefer F-16s. What's taking the US and NATO so long? Is it still a matter of training and maintenance/parts?
How many times do you have to be told, aside from all the politics that go along in situations like this, you don't snap your fingers and set up a squadron of F-16.

YES - it's still a matter of training and maintenance/parts
 
This is from Air Force Magazine, an official publication of the USAF

 

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