Air Force Wants To Liquidate Its Tiny Light Attack Plane Fleet

[NVSMITH]

"The saga of the U.S. Air Force's Light Attack Experiment could be finally nearing its end, with the service now apparently looking to offload the tiny force of turboprop aircraft it acquired over the last couple of years. The three A-29 Super Tucanos and two AT-6E Wolverines will likely be passed on to foreign operators if the Air Force gets its way."
Air Force Wants To Liquidate Its Tiny Light Attack Plane Fleet

 

[Prop Duster]

"The saga of the U.S. Air Force's Light Attack Experiment could be finally nearing its end, with the service now apparently looking to offload the tiny force of turboprop aircraft it acquired over the last couple of years. The three A-29 Super Tucanos and two AT-6E Wolverines will likely be passed on to foreign operators if the Air Force gets its way."
Air Force Wants To Liquidate Its Tiny Light Attack Plane Fleet

Gee maybe the US Army could add them to their collection of Air craft

 

[Glider]

I always thought that these type of aircraft would be useful for anti drug smuggling patrols. Fast enough to follow the majority of aircraft used by the smugglers and relatively cheap.

 

[Thumpalumpacus]

And then there's another thread discussing using a modified crop-duster to replace the A-10.

 

[SaparotRob]

Jeepers! Why didn't I think of this before? Send A-10s to Ukraine for use as crop dusters. Thump, you're a genius.

 

[vikingBerserker]

Jeepers! Why didn't I think of this before? Send A-10s to Ukraine for use as crop dusters. Thump, you're a genius.

Imagine how many cigarettes it could carry!

 

[FLYBOYJ]

I always thought that these type of aircraft would be useful for anti drug smuggling patrols. Fast enough to follow the majority of aircraft used by the smugglers and relatively cheap.

Agree - that's the prefect mission as well as counter insurgency in low threat environments

Gee maybe the US Army could add them to their collection of Air craft

There's a policy between the US Army and the USAF that goes back to the Vietnam days that prevents that unfortunately

 

[Thumpalumpacus]

Imagine how many cigarettes it could carry!

I'm told it can light up about 4000 per minute.

 

[SaparotRob]

Can you imagine how fast a GAU-8 could sow a field?

 

[MIflyer]

Those light attack turboprops were being evaluated to equip the Afghan Air Force, but.....

 

[GreenKnight121]

Agree - that's the prefect mission as well as counter insurgency in low threat environments


There's a policy between the US Army and the USAF that goes back to the Vietnam days that prevents that unfortunately

1948, actually... clarified in 1966.
Key West Agreement - Wikipedia

Johnson-McConnell agreement of 1966 - Wikipedia