What aircraft is most commonly used for CAS by the US? Part of

A-10

>>33387899

B-1

>>33388045
/thread

>>33387899
BBBRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRTTTTTTTTTTTTT

Depends what you mean "most commonly used" do you measure it by; number of CAS missions, by number/weight of munitions, by flight hours?

For example, by weight of munitions dropped, the B-1 will score very highly, by number of CAS missions the F-16 will score highly, and by hours spent in theatre the MQ-9 will (while not number one) score much higher than you would think.

>>33387899
F15

File: A-1 Skyraider w: lotsa bombs.jpg (28KB, 576x452px) Image search: [Google]

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>>33388884
>MQ-9
>not number one by hours
I don't understand how this is even possible, even in an asymmetric war like we're in.

>>33388978
Because our sorties are long as fuck. That loiter time.

File: CloseAirSupport_chart2B[1].jpg (331KB, 595x1382px) Image search: [Google]

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>>33387899

Whenever we got CAS support it was a BRRRRRT, but I always liked airstrikes with the B1-B

>>33387899
B1 and F-16.

More rarely A-10 and F-15.

Even more rarely F-18.

>>33389083
I know it says USAF as the source, but that info is wrong. The B1 made up like 30% of all sorties my last deployment in Afghanistan and dropped a good 50%+ of all JDAMs in country. One was in the air 24/7 for the most part. No way it's not registering in OEF on those pie charts.

>>33389158
That does not mean the graph is wrong tho. It just means that B1s was the thing that did most of the sorties supporting your unit specifically.

>>33387899
f16 or a10

>>33390479
The source doesn't show any B1 sorties at all.

File: MQ-9 Reaper taxiing.jpg (508KB, 3000x1673px) Image search: [Google]

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>>33388994
That's my point. How is MQ-9 NOT #1 in such an asymmetric conflict? What the fuck are fast-movers even doing there?

>>33394866

>What the fuck are fast-movers even doing there?

Its nice to be able to loiter around for dozends of hours but in the end, if you dont have the speed to get to the guys who need air support right then and now, fast movers will allways be needed.

>>33387899
>What aircraft is most commonly used for CAS by the US?

All of them.

The number for CAS calls in the past 20 years far exceeds the available number of aircraft flying, it's why non CAS aircraft like the B-1, and fighters that literally arent even carrying ground ordinance like the F-15C, have had to be used to so much to strafe, or merely drop flares to try and scare away mudslimes, because there was no real CAS capable aircraft flying at the time.

It's also the reason why the A-10 couldnt have been retired, and why there's now movement to actually come up with a real 'A' plane replacement for it. Because CAS is not something that can be properly done by an aircraft that is too costly to ever be flown low enough to even enter the realm of possibility of being fired at by enemy AAA or SAMs.

File: 49ba3d75cfdb8be85e37b15a10f639ee.jpg (43KB, 466x466px) Image search: [Google]

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>>33389083
>No B-2s bombing ISIS.

A damn shame.

>>33387899
MQ-9.

Every other answer is objectively wrong.

>>33395048
Drones will do it, probably.

>>33397580
B-2s bombed ISIS in Libya a couple of months ago.

>>33393273
>other

>>33395048
>Because CAS is not something that can be properly done by an aircraft that is too costly to ever be flown low enough to even enter the realm of possibility of being fired at by enemy AAA or SAMs.

t. anon in 1965

>>33388045
correct.

Long loiter time.

Dash ability.

They do circles till someone gets in trouble on the ground

then they come to bring in some JDAM love

>>33397788
>then they come to bring in some JDAM love

>right on top of your own head

http://m.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/apr/20/air-force-returns-afghanistan-friendly-fire-crew-t/