F-16 Falcon and A-10 Thunderbolt II Originally aired on the Discovery Channel in the early 1990's. As high of quality as is available of the original non-edited version of the show.
US military in the midst of the greatest generational replacement of all the weapon systems since the 80s. US military in 2023 still fights with weapons that were developed and deployed during the Reagan era. Now the replacements are coming.. Abrams tank is getting an all new variation, the M1A3, Army is in the process of choosing the successor to the Bradley IFV. Further on the Army is replacing it's air assets the Blackhawk and the Apache with the Future Vertical lift program. Next the new PrSM, or the Precision strike missile will soon replace the ATACMS by doubling its range and loadout. The individual soldier is not forgotten too. The M4 carabine main assault rifle is getting replaced by the new 6,5mm rifle..Also the Humwee is replaced by the JLTV. Army is also getting the all new capability with the Dark Eagle ground based hypersonic missile... Now the Air force... Of course the F-35 fleet is getting bigger by the day and they are replacing the aging F-15s and F-16s. Also the oldest F-15s are being replaced by the new F-15 Eagle II. The bomber fleet isn't forgotten either with the secret new stealth B-21 bomber being developed to replace the B-1 and B-2. And last but not least for the Air Force, they are developing the super secret 6th gen fighter jet that should bring yet unseen capabilities and technologies to the table and cement USAF's position of the most powerful air force in the world... Of course we can't forget the US Navy. They are also bringing the F-35C to the decks of aircraft carriers with the next generation air dominance platform being developed to replace the Super Hornet. Navy is also starting to build the new ballistic missile submarine, the Columbia class, that will replace the Ohio class. New Ford class aircraft carriers are being built to replace the venerable Nimitz class and the Navy is installing hypersonic missiles to their most advanced surface combatant, the Zumwalt class destroyer. To finish this all are the Navy's programs of record for the next generation of attack submarines that will suceed the Virginia class and the next gen destroyer that will replace the Arleigh Burke and Ticonderoga classes. To talk about all new missiles and specific weapons that are also on the horizon to be included into the US military would be too long so I gave up' on it...
💯 Retreating armies are a valid target. “He who runs will fight again”. I truly believe that the total destruction of the retreating troops out of Basra was what completely broke their will to fight. No soon after that the Iraqi army started to just melt away.
@@arnoldkellner2173 Politics put the brakes on us. Everyone wanted to get back to home and their loved ones but I don't know any soldier that believed that we should pull out without finishing the march on Baghdad. Everyone of us knew that we'd eventually have to deploy back there to finish the job. Fucking politicians! USARMY '87 - 2004
I'm a Desert Sheild/Storm Veteran and proud of all we had to do and how we did it. Only wish we could have taken it all the way to Bagdad but my Battalion was stopped 300 miles south and the War was declared over. I drove that highway after the assault on it. Vehicles still burning, the tires and the bodies. That i will never forget seeing. Price of War is costly everytime.
I was right there with you sir. 1st tanks battalion. Task force Ripper. I remember it like it was yesterday. It could have gotten real ugly but it didn't because they wasn't as tactical or as well trained as we were. Bless you my brother in arms 🙏.
I know it’s been while since this post tho by chance would you know how I can find this whole series. I’ve looked but can’t find Wings Over the gulf. Thanks for your service. An praying the Lord above is watching out for you and your fam.
As an old Marine I can tell you - most Air Force close air support was from about 5,000 feet AGL. Marine and Navy close Air support was tree top. If I had to rely on zoomies, I would have had a short career. Loved the A-10.
@@georgebarnes8163 when we were youngsters(16-17)4 of us were hiking in Cumbria,as we were about to descend into the end of a narrow dip in the valley we were in one of the group noticed a sound and silenced the rest of us,you could hear a faint noise like a distant train on the track and by the time we realised what the sound was we were buzzed by a pair of tornados coming over the crest behind us,at the time you would swear that they were cutting the grass😁,I don't know how low they were in reality as we were all throwing ourselves on the floor,but we worked out that they were lower than the wall above us on the hill and that was about 70- 80 foot above our position they weren't hanging about either! I have never seen any aircraft so low,they certainly wouldn't have seen us right underneath them and they seemed to barely fit in the fairly narrow dip given the speed they were going too.My brother lived near scotch corner for years and spent a lot of time up in the hills,he took many photos of the military aircraft flying around,the pictures of the tornados almost always were from above😁👍
Never leave an enemy stronghold intact! A retreating army is still a viable army. Tactics dictate destroying them. They were running away not surrendering.
I'm NOT a fly boy or even a weapons maintenance technician, I'm a US NAVY OS-3 in an Assault and Rescue Team but I like to thank you for your appreciation anyway.... WE work for y'all... 🇺🇸The American people🇺🇸🪖🫡
I love the A10. I live in Myrtle Beach and miss the A10s flying over the Spring Maid pier . I wouldnwave to the low slow A10s and the pilots would wiggle their wings in recognition. God Bless our brave service members.USARMY 10/68-10/70
The A-10 may no longer be the youngest design but it is still by far the most effective aircraft at it's job. One day the AF will learn that the only way to replace the A-10 is with a new A-10.
One day armchair warrior civilians will learn that that they don't know better than the most professional, well equipped, well trained fighting force in the history of mankind. I could take an A-10 apart, put it back together, then fly it. I was in Desert Storm and I love that bird so much I have a huge painting of it in my office, but I'm here to tell you that you've been duped by media propaganda. "Aren't we civilians so informed! If only the idiots at the pentagon would listen to us! " Um.. no. The F-35 was proven in Red Flag with a 20-1 air-to-air kill ratio and more time on station and a better BDA than *any* aircraft in the inventory in air-to-ground. It's no competition. The F-35 can do 10 close air support missions in the time that any other aircraft can do 1. For a dad who has a son on the ground this is very important... and as a former mil aviation engineer, I can tell you that you've been lied to by the MSM on this bird. George Soros led the charge on F-35 disinformation with his 'Program on Government Oversite' which took innocuous test information and made it look like flaws. In some people's very misinformed opinion "war is obsolete and national defense takes food from school lunch programs". As well meaning as those people are, they're dead wrong on every account. The F-35 IOC program has been many times more successful than aircraft programs such as the F-15 and AH-64 which killed multiple pilots and went relatively further over budget and time constraints. The leap in aviation tech between the F-35 and the F-15 is many times larger than that of the F-4 to the F-15 in air-to-air, and much more than the leap from the A-4 to the A-10 in air-to-ground.. it has exceeded all expectations and changed the nature of warfare. By the way; the F-35 was further proven against S400 and other Russian missile platforms when Israel flew it nape of the earth over Iran's capital building... multiple times.. without getting locked. Look up 'Heritage F-35 Assessment' for a Soros free report on this bird. Also look up video Sprey Vs Burke; debate between F-35 pilot and A-10 designer. Don't feel bad about being misinformed on this subject, most people are.
@@daeclipse03 $30k per hour instead of $25k per hour? I pay taxes on some really stupid programs, but I don't mind paying $5k more so my Army son can get Close Air Support which is 80% more effective and less likely to accidentally kill him. 16% higher cost for 80% better effectiveness and a son who comes home? Take my money. I heard one F-35 Pilot say that going to war in the F-35 instead of the A-10 is like going to war in an MRAP instead of a '71 VW Beatle. Also, we're just talking flat operating cost; maintenance and gas. The F-35 is actually much more efficient on both accounts. During Red Flag 2019 the F-35 maintained a 95% availability. This was in large part due to the digitized ALIS maintenance system. Logistics for parts is streamlined and total manhours are greatly reduced. Granted, our maintenance crews work for minimum wage and aren't paid by the hour, but the ALIS system is worth our consideration. Uptime = targets prosecuted. The uptime for the aging A-10 is woefully inadequate. This illustrates just a few of the myths spread by the Government Accountability Office (which isn't a government office at all but instead a civilian propaganda machine and anti-military spending activist group).
Outstanding documentary. First class commentary, excellent interviews and great and consistent use of real footage, and aircraft detail. 10 /10. Thank you. RH Auckland, New Zealand.
Proud and appreciative of all our current and past military. Remember Desert Storm very well. I was an engineering lab manager for Westinghouse Defense at BWI (now NG). Managed ten TS/SCI labs…for EW radar systems…mostly AN/ALQ-131. In preparation for DS…we planned and tested for months…then had field engineers overseas…uploading the new techniques (jamming, confusing, walk-off, etc.) to counter or otherwise neutralize every radar-based threat…ground and air. So proud to have been part of such a great team at Westinghouse/NG…our team…our hard work…protected every pilot. The only F-16s downed were just “lucky shots”. Will always be grateful for every member of military service to our Country…and, although I never served, please know that we did our part by working many long days, nights, weekends…to ensure that our systems worked to protect lives. Just an old and disabled man now, but would report to work tonight…if it would save the life of any of our military. Peace and love to all, but until we all learn to live in peace…”we must keep our swords bright”. (Ben Hur)
This 1991 war was primarily a war for to keep Kuwait from being overwhelmed and taken over by an evil dictator. The 2003 war was more for ego and profit, not for oil but for the profits of military company profits and their investors
@@unnerum but he was invading and enslaving the free peoples of Kuwait and his neighbors. Freedom is for everyone. Sure we screw up a lot here in the USA, but we also lay a pretty big sacrifice of our men and materials on that alter of freedom so other's might live in freedom and peace as well
@@empressoflonelinessnightwa936 He wasn't in the service of you or I. He was serving oil companies and weapons manufactures. Not something worth thanking anyone for.
@@JP-hy9gz I think he was talking singularly, 1 GAW30 round weighs .78kg so not quite 2lbs per round. And if you could build a 2lbs battle rifle, the world would beat a path to your door 🚪....from Wyoming USA 🇺🇸 🤠
"... it's neither fast, nor elegant, or state of the art...": from the perspective of friendly ground forces, it is the most beautiful thing you ever dun saw. (and your TACP was your best friend)
When I was Army in 97 in Okinawa training on Jungle War Training! When taking the courses while wearing laser targets all over our bodies! The instructors directed all of us (Marines and Army guys) out in clearing! Then when all of alarms were going off an A-10 came over! We were all “dead” from that one pass you barely hear coming toward you but once they pass the sound is very loud was very impressed with that aircraft!
If they didn’t want to get shot leaving Kuwait... they should have left their tanks and equipment there and walked. What a stupid position ... retreating troops don’t get shot at !!! Yea right ... until they stop retreating ... reform and occupy new potions to fight from. Only a reporter would as such a stupid question.
@@larryyeadeke2953 I was there. It was much worse than that. Those Iraqi soldiers raped and killed their way across Kuwait. They not only took all the art and valuables from each home, but they raped their wives in front of them and shit on their dining room tables. They tortured children in front of parents and burned occupied hospitals. They were under orders from Hussein that if they were forced to leave, they were to "make sure that Kuwait would forever fear another war with them". The convoy was leaving in mostly civilian vehicles because we had already destroyed most of their tanks and troop transports. I had a friend in Ops who heard the orders from Schwarzkopf concerning the "highway of death". They dropped pamphlets to let those troops know that if the abandoned fighting vehicles and dropped all weapons they wouldn't be engaged. U.S. troops were ordered to take anyone out who didn't comply, then destroy all vehicles after they were abandoned. Most of them lived. Schwarzkopf actually called the Kuwaiti government to see if they wanted their valuables retrieved from the fleeing vehicles. They replied "No, destroy it all". The tragedy here isn't the "brutality of war". It has always been so and always will be. The tragedy here is the spin our own media put on the incident.. or that they would report on it at all. How can civilians be expected to understand the realities of war?
A 10 silent gun that is an understatement we they would come over the flight line or whever you were if you did not see them coming you would not hear them until they were just going past you. We knew these were deadly and the tankers we met said if they were on the other side and they knew the A10's were coming they would get the hell out of the tank and into a hole .
Agree totally with leaving military decisions to the military. Keep politicians out of how to fight a war. Military know the troops, training and equipment to win the war and protect lives. God bless our troops!
One reason why the Civil war lasted so long was because when an retreating (defeated) army (usually over ten miles long, protected with "skirmishes") left the field, it was not attacked. Nor did that army surrender. Being nice and letting them go, meant you would fight them again, and again.
Yes. It is even posited that we would have not had WWII if in WWI the Germans had not been allowed to retreat back to Germany. I believe it was a U.S officer at the time who pointed out at the time that the Germans did not really believe they had been defeated and the allies would all have to go back and do it all over again as a result. He was absolutely correct. It allowed the "stabbed in the back" lie to exist in Germany with the resulting tragic results for the world.
Herb here, A-10." 🎶 BAD TO THE BONE ! 🎶 " Drove a truck 2nd Gulf War, Apache's just above your convoy back and forth back and forth. A-10's off in the distance. Gives ya' the "warm fuzzies"!👍
Thanks to all the men and women who fought and died in the Gulf War I appreciate your sacrifices very very much because I was in the Navy with the A-6 Bomber squadron after what you guys and gals did for the freedom so I could do that.
Ah, the '90s. I remember watching this conflict on CNN. Then, watching these shows on Discovery, back when it was good. That narrator did a lot of work for Discovery.
This movie started with the F-16. I was wondering when the A-10 would show up. It is clear that once you destroy the air threat, the A-10 is there to clean up. I am surprised on how effective the helicopter attacks were.
I was a Crew Chief back in the early 80's when Gen Horner was a one star. He used our F-15's as "Taxi's". That was the joke anyway. He came in one morning while I was working Alert and woke me up saying " he was gonna do his walk-around". But then he said" don't get up Chief, I'll let you know when I'm ready". How cool was that? He was a good guy. Liked him a lot.
An officer leading by making his men under their command I’ve got you and just do what your doing. As all the jumping up standing poker straight in a combat scenario your losing time by doing these salutes. Time even a second could mean the difference of those on the front fighting, is life and death by being one second lost from bombing those who are their to kill your own military personnel.
A good video but on the first day of Desert Storm it was the AH-64 Apache, the A-10 Thunderbolt 2, and the EF-111A Sparkvark that cleared a 30 mile wide corridor for the coalition aircraft to do what we did.
A10 pilots all seemed to love their aircraft. When you listen to these remarks the top brass should be convinced the plane was positive equipment to support. Protection for pilots in this plane was real when the person flying it feels safe
As a retired AMMO/Munitions Specialist and Loader, I'm sure this has been previously discussed, but at 32:13 they are erroneously calling a 25 lb practice bomb (BDU-33) a flare. An egregious error, to be sure.
I love the F-16 Fighting falcon it's a superb airplane it can dog fight and it's very agile one of the best airplanes that can dog fight with the best of them I would love to fly the F-16 Fighting falcon my plane of choice to go into combat
The USAF has been trying to get rid of the A10 since they introduced them. There is a law that prohibits the army from having fixed wing aircrafts. I suggest they turn the A10 over to the army and let them use the A10 for their close support or maybe the marines
Seriously? Why would they want to get rid of, probably, the best ground support aircraft ever made, i know that the A-10 is being retired but that’s due to age and fatigue life, it’s a pity but all good things come to an end.
@@allandavis8201 I feel the same way but the USAF brass is more impressed with the high tech multi-role air superiority type air craft than they are with what they refer to as the "low-tech" World War II style stick & rudder aircraft. I have seen the Warthog in action. It is a great plane and can arrive on station fast - I think faster than any chopper I know of. Maybe the brass feels the AC-130 Spectre should take its place with the Apache. I was not in with the top brass so it is hard for me to understand their logic. I was just a grunt.
Unfortunately history will repeat its self and much like in Roman times 14th century, you name it there will be massive wars again and more "cold wars". I think it was Einstein who said the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. 😳
it has been 20 years and still no wmd, how do you consider this "justified" killing innocent people fighting for their homes? are you guys all fucking delusional? What kind of pills are they making you pop that you are so clueless to humanity??
@@benjibernardino1728 while kuwait's lounge in the casino's of London and the Riviera American troops get to massacre Iraqi soldiers....so fun , fun , fun ..
@@rickstevens1479 man's gotta do what a man's gotta do lol. You shouldn't click on stuff that upsets you. It will make your life miserable than it already is!
Two things I learned from working with Russian engineers: Build it to be good enough and quantity has a quality of it's own. something's to remember about "fly by wire." The first few years of the project killed a bunch of pilots and the early iterations prevented pilots from exceeding some performance parameters. A.I, here we come.
I know when we first had access to the MiG-25 flown into Japan in 1976, that the US experts initially said the external, raised rivet heads on the body would degrade performance. Turns out that where the Russians used those rivets there was no drag, so it saved money in the manufacturing process without degrading performance.
