lafford@serum.Kodak.COM (Rick Lafford) (03/28/91)
From: lafford@serum.Kodak.COM (Rick Lafford) After a fairly glowing article in AvWeek about the capabilities of the F-16 used in the CAS mission, I received the following first hand info on the performance of the GE 30mm gun pod that the Syracuse Boys (37thTAC) used. Word has it that it fell out of favor after the first few missions as the low altitudes required and proximity to target brought too much attention (read small arms fire) to the attacker. The F-16's switched to more conventional bombs and stand-off weapons and were more effective while incurring no casualities. Rick Lafford Eastman Kodak Co. Reply-To lafford@serum.Kodak.Com My views represent nobody but little old me and not much of that.
clallen@rodan.acs.syr.edu (03/29/91)
From: clallen@rodan.acs.syr.edu lafford@serum.Kodak.COM (Rick Lafford) writes: >After a fairly glowing article in AvWeek about the capabilities of >the F-16 used in the CAS mission, I received the following >first hand info on the performance of the GE 30mm gun pod that >the Syracuse Boys (37thTAC) used. Word has it that it fell out of >favor after the first few missions as the low altitudes required >and proximity to target brought too much attention (read small arms >fire) to the attacker. The F-16's switched to more conventional >bombs and stand-off weapons and were more effective while incurring >no casualities. I have heard the same things first hand. It turns out that they did not use the 30mm guns as much as they expected to, as that is their unit's primary mission. However they are the only unit in the USAF/ANG which posesses the 30mm guns, and they were really still training on them when the war(ie August) began. Personally I think it is a mistake to switch CAS from the A-10 to the A/F-16. The "Boys from Syracuse" flew A-10s up till 2 years ago, and then switched to the 16s. However given some more time, the concept of "Fast-Ass CAS"(Boy's Motto) will work. Also the Boy's official designation is the 174th TFW/NYANG. -- Charles L. Allen | Football is like sex. When it's good, Academic Computing Services |it's the greatest thing going. When it is Syracuse University |bad, it's still better than anything else.