Why? A light fighter is way cheaper to purchase and to run as well. You can buy a Aero L-159 ALCA for under $5 million and is far more survivable than a crop duster.
The USAF has F16s aplenty though. Props are even cheaper, quieter, and can be armed well enough to dab on skinnies with impunity. USSOCOM doesn't want to spend any more on the role than that, if its not enough they'll use real jets.
Literally not who SkyWarden is aimed at, they'd just use F-16s. It's aimed at tribal dirt farmers who are lucky if they have MANPADS and legacy AAA, which it can mog with PGMs from standoff.
Serious question. Would a modern p-38 styled prop plane be realistic in this day and age? I'd imagine w/latest engines and construction design you could put an insane amount of hardpoints and ordinance compared to anything used today.
The niche of cheap CAS bird for SOF doesn't really have room for it. Operator types often do missions where getting in a big fight is undesireable so a huge koad of weapons isn' t always useful. At a certain point you're going to spring for a helicopter gunship, a fighter, or something like AC-130.
i wish they made a vtol version
How?
By adding a rotor.
I thought it was called the longsword
There’s 2 kinds of soul
Looks like a great way to kill pilots with MANPADS
>APKWS, 500lb bombs, and Hellfires.
It'll be fine.
Shit meant to quote dis homie
>crop duster that can be downed by a dshk mounted on a rustbucket toyota
Why didn't they just adopt a light jet fighter? Like a T-7 attack version?
At that point you might as well use an F-16.
Why? A light fighter is way cheaper to purchase and to run as well. You can buy a Aero L-159 ALCA for under $5 million and is far more survivable than a crop duster.
The USAF has F16s aplenty though. Props are even cheaper, quieter, and can be armed well enough to dab on skinnies with impunity. USSOCOM doesn't want to spend any more on the role than that, if its not enough they'll use real jets.
anon...
Literally not who SkyWarden is aimed at, they'd just use F-16s. It's aimed at tribal dirt farmers who are lucky if they have MANPADS and legacy AAA, which it can mog with PGMs from standoff.
The only improvement I would suggest is the ability to roll down a window so the pilot can take potshots at people with his sidearm.
They literally bought them just to shit on guys who were pushing Beechcraft T6s
Serious question. Would a modern p-38 styled prop plane be realistic in this day and age? I'd imagine w/latest engines and construction design you could put an insane amount of hardpoints and ordinance compared to anything used today.
>cheap
>easier to maintain
in 1944 they were 100,000 a pop. Idk bout maint on em though, I'd imagine it wld be a pain in the ass w/superchargers.
https://aerocorner.com/aircraft/lockheed-p-38-lightning/
The niche of cheap CAS bird for SOF doesn't really have room for it. Operator types often do missions where getting in a big fight is undesireable so a huge koad of weapons isn' t always useful. At a certain point you're going to spring for a helicopter gunship, a fighter, or something like AC-130.
ahh, I'm not too versed on the particulars of low tier CAS, just really want to see p-38's again 🙂
Can relate.
Your closest equivalent may be large dual-prop drones like Akinci.