British Typhoon jets based in Romania have carried out simulated Close Air Support sorties for a large-scale NATO exercise at the Smardan Training Area in Southern Romania.
In a news release, the RAF say that the week-long multinational NATO exercise, called Exercise Scorpion Legacy, involved 1,800 troops from Romania, Bulgaria, Italy, Poland, Portugal, and the United States.
“The exercise also involved 250 armoured vehicles and Romanian Air Force IAR-330 Puma helicopters, in addition to the RAF Typhoons. The exercise culminated with the Typhoons from 3(Fighter) Squadron, a part of 140 Expeditionary Air Wing, initiating a live fire demonstration phase of the exercise. The Typhoons provided a simulated Close Air Support attack in aid of the final deliberate attack manoeuvre by the ground forces against a simulated enemy.”
The RAF also add that the exercise provided the opportunity for the RAF to work alongside the NATO Multinational Brigade Southeast Headquarters to carry out this interoperability training, while the Brigade Headquarters was also rehearsing the command of deployed forces in NATO’s south-eastern region.
Squadron Leader Griffin, 140 Expeditionary Air Wing Operations Lead, was quoted as saying:
“It’s crucial that we train alongside out NATO partners to build interoperability and ensure that we continue to show our commitment to the Alliance.”
Fighter guns have been declared obsolete as many times as the tank. Yet they continue to prove useful. Hence the MOD have been trying to kill them off for years…
Don’t forget that CAS is not just about the destruction of targets by the aircraft. As a ground commander I would often value the situational awareness provided by the air platform over the strike option. The ability to see into the enemy’s rear, or provide a more complete picture of the situation with an aircraft outside of sight and sound was incredibly useful to me. I’ve also used show of force as much as kinetic effect and it definitely worked to get my troops out of one very difficult situation.
I think the F35B will excel at the ISTAR part of CAS and its ability to fuse information from multiple platforms is I think a game-changer for ground commanders as well as the aircraft itself. Also, I’ve been in multiple situations where fast jet strafing runs missed by 5m or so (which is really a small margin of error at that speed) and the enemy just carried on as if nothing had happened. I’m not saying a gun isn’t necessary, just that it isn’t everything.
We do have a cannon pod option for the F35, hopefully we will buy some…
The Harrier GR7 should have had a 25mm cannon, it was developed and a substantial number bought.
One ‘tiny’ issue is the extended cannons, meant vented gas was injested into the intakes, caused alarming engine surge, to point of risking flight safety!
Net result, they couldn’t be signed off as fit to use and no-one could figure out how to make them work safely!
Another absolutely classic expensive MOD cockup!
The MoD and the RAF would be absolutely appalled at the prospect of their extremely expensive F35B’s being used in CAS
The USAF looked at this and has decided to upgrade their A10A Warthogs to A10C with a new large-area cockpit display, additional weapons and a tactics overhaul.
If we ever intend that the British Army be deployed in an actual war again, we would do better offering to buy back a few of the US Marine Corp’s Harriers, which have been nicely upgraded for the CAS role
Yes but, you’d have to crew them and maintain them. Neither quick or cheap’.
The A10c that the USAF has tried to retire on several occasions but gets blocked by Congress
Congress has finally relented on the retirement of A10s. The 2023 Defense Budget will allow the USAF to retire 42 older model A10s. That’s the Air Force’s foot in the door and look for them to get permission to retire more in future years. The USAF is right and the Congress is wrong. The A10 simply isn’t survivable on the modern battlefield with a peer or near peer rival.
Yes the US requirement for F35 CAS has been a long ongoing saga with no end in sight and another software nightmare I believe, but everything I heard was that it was no longer really being considered for the role at all except in extremis and that it really isn’t suited for it. To be honest I was shocked to think this originally was to be one of its roles.
Maybe a really noisy jet powered drone could buzz the enemy to put the fear up them. A silent drone at 30,000 feet won’t have the same effect. Give it a cannon and the close support weapons.
It’s a tough call to make. Having a dedicated CAS aircraft is costly and the pilots are an expensive asset.
It will be typhoon and F35 that will have to do the job for the U.K just now.
as we watch Russia pound away with it artillery how useful would it be have some drones that can detect where it came from and then send another munition drone to kill it. Every time a shell launches it kills the gun
Greetings George and Moderating Team. I notice there is a post on this trail (refer Brooklyn), which appears to be an un solicited marketing/commercial post.
Is it possible to remove such content and issue a cease and desist notice?
Harrier was equipped with guns and used them to shoot down Argentinian fighters in the Falklands War.