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All TOs and such aside, do you think the A-10 would able to deliver a tactical nuke with practicality?

This has been on my mind off and on. The plane doesn't have the computers or anything for the weapons. In fact, you'd probably want something with some stand-off range. I've heard people say it's too slow, but with the proper missile, you wouldn't need to bug out far enough for it to be a problem.

I've searched, and apperently this hasn't been talked about before, though I'd swear I at least brought it up.

"Some pup"
Nickname by Fenderstrat72

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Evil is evil, no matter how small.

Gifted, I don't see why you would even think of using the A-10 in this roll if you had <b>any other</b> airframe to do the job.

Ugly But Well Hung

<BLOCKQUOTE id=quote><font size=1 face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id=quote>quote:<hr height=1 noshade id=quote>
All TOs and such aside, do you think the A-10 would able to deliver a tactical nuke with practicality?


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Probably could. It'd be a guaranteed one-way trip, but it could likely drop one........<img src=icon_smile.gif border=0 align=middle>

When I began my Fighter Career in the very early 80's we still trained for lofting the B61. When i say Lofting, Consider a Hail MArry pass that Begins at Supersonic in a Dive then pulling near Vertical and releasing it at the Apogee (top of the climb arc) to get this Chunk of Atom Splitting Iron, the furthest away from the aircraft as possible (About a 15 NM Toss).. MAx G egress(read Snap the wings OFF) to get your ass out of the Blast Radius, which even then was a 50/50 survival. Hopefully at this time you had established a 30,000-40,000 Altitude and another 20NM from The blast and 30NM by the time the shockwave begins to travel the surface below you.

The aircraft we have in Inventory HAve to be special equipped for this task. This includes the Nuclear Release Controls and protcols. Many safety's are required to even hang the ordnance let alone deploy it.


This leaves you with looking for an aircraft that is fast and agile, as well as equiped for the mission. That leaves you with the F16-F15 and a few bombers. Todays Nukes make the ww2 Bombs look like Firecrackers.

Personally i dont feel we need to have this humanity destroyers in our inventory.

Like dice said. When we need an A10 to destroy itself to drop a Nuke.

WE have dicked up every tactical consideration in a very big way.

"The greatest pleasure is to vanquish your enemies, to chase them before you, to rob them of their wealth, to see their near and dear bathed in tears, to ride their horses and sleep on the white bellies of their wives and daughters."
-Genghis Khan

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Whoops, hit edit instead of post and zapped your post Gifted.

Sorry dude.

~M21sniper

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Evil is evil, no matter how small.

NO SINGLE SEAT US AIRCRAFT CAN DROP ANY NUCLEAR WEAPON (NONE)nosingle seat F-15 F-16 F-18 F-22 F-117 You gota have two crewmembers Even then the jet has have been made to drop Special Weapons Unless someone does a lota rewiring.
CARL (WEAPONS SYSTEMS)

You do know, Carl, that there are people on this board that work on these jets, including F-16Cs that have most of the hardware to drop nukes. I don't have my CDCs(I'm not even sure it's in there), but I"m pretty sure the single seaters only have one code. They have to have the other one transmitted to them before they can proceed to armed release.

Any change in this is policy, not hardware. The only thing keeping the Nighthawk from dropping is a computer that is sitting in a crate(maybe. They're sneaky about this stuff, who knows what the SAR people do?) I'd like to know a little more of where you're coming from, so as to help make this conversation easier. You don't say much on you're info page.

Ignorance may be bliss, but it sure ain't fun!

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Evil is evil, no matter how small.

<BLOCKQUOTE id=quote><font size=1 face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id=quote>quote:<hr height=1 noshade id=quote>The only thing keeping the Nighthawk from dropping is a computer that is sitting in a crate<hr height=1 noshade id=quote></BLOCKQUOTE id=quote></font id=quote><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" size=2 id=quote> ...and an afterburner!<img src=icon_smile_wink.gif border=0 align=middle>

"Pilots Without Maintainers are Just Pedestrians With Leather Jackets and Cool Sunglasses."

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\"Those who hammer their guns into plows
will plow for those who do not.\"
- Thomas Jefferson

Gifted,

I worked with Carl alot of years, he was weapons /loader/maintance etc.. Carl has worked alot of Airframes
I think its one of the "Gray" areas that in order to spell it out
we might get into OPSEC.

I would just leave it at that,but just by what everyone knows in the public an A-10 would be a "WW3"trip than it wouldnt matter.

I think Thug covered the Jist of the question with his answer.

Goose


LIVE FREE OR DIE

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\"Live Free Or Die\"

Back in the '60's, my dad commented on how his Air Force Liason Officer was cool with the idea of using his F-105 to lob a nuke... up until he did the calculations and realized that, no matter what, he'd still be caught by the fireball. <img src=newicons/anim_shock.gif border=0 align=middle>

Unconventional living since 1975.

"Most tactical warheads are lower yeild than the WWII bombs."

That is absolutely INcorrect, though some devices have variable yields that can be dialed down to 5kt, but in so doing the fallout becomes much, much worse as a far smaller % of the fissile material is consumed in the initiation. Regardless, max yield for the B-61 is 200kt.

Here's a lot of non sensitive B-61 blah, blah...
http://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/systems/b61.htm

The B-61 can be parachute retarded, which i'm sure GREATLY aids in escape time.


<b>There are two kinds of soldiers.
Snipers...and targets.</b>
<img src="http://www.creedmoorsports.com/images/SA9121-M21.JPG" border=0>

snipe no you can not have nuke for self protection.

Hey Guys
The AD-1 later the A-1 Skyraiders and the Early A-4s could drop special weapons AND THEY WERE SINGLE SEAT aircraft. But most people here know the real Special Weapons are not like the ones in the movies. When i worked on the F-111F if we had a bad wire on the Nuclear system the wire had to be replaced from one plug to the next. NO SPLICES, the system would know the resistance in the wire was wrong and would not allow the jet to release the weapon.Heck even the Mau-12 racks in a aircraft used to drop specials are different from the other Mau-12 racks In other jets.
Hey GIFTED
I HAVE NOT WORKED THE F-16 SO i am not 100% up on their systems and will check, SO they might be able to
HECK they have even tried to make A-10s out of them. Gave them that CUTE little gun pod and all. BUT WE ALL KNOW THEY COULD NOT CUT IT DOWN LOW IN THE MUD AND WEEDS. I have shots of one that came into KKMC with a TINY LITTLE HOLE in it and could not get his nose gear down.HAD to catch the wire and slide down the runway on his nose
But i do think they are a great air to air jet
Carl

<BLOCKQUOTE id=quote><font size=1 face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id=quote>quote:<hr height=1 noshade id=quote> I worked with Carl alot of years, he was weapons /loader/maintance etc..<hr height=1 noshade id=quote></BLOCKQUOTE id=quote></font id=quote><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" size=2 id=quote>I did it again didn't I? My apolohies.

Question answered, for the most part, well before this was resurrected. Delivery is possible, but where do you get a pilot?

They don't have a yield for this, anyone know?
http://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/systems/w79.htm
PRobably too much.

Only other stuff is on Wiki,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_artillery
Nothing there concerning fireball size/shockwave range though. You really need that to decide how much space you need. The 10 or less miles I'd expect from a rocket motor wouldn't help much, I don't think.

Ignorance may be bliss, but it sure ain't fun!

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Evil is evil, no matter how small.

I know for a fact that F-16's at Hahn AB sat Victor Alert as part of their normal duties. The only way you can sit Victor is with nukes. Therefore yes the F-16 can and has had nukes loaded.

<img src="http://img117.imageshack.us/img117/457/bgnrjsiiw81q1gc.jpg" border=0>

Gravity....its not just a good idea, its the law.

Carl sent me the pictures, it looks like someone sawed -off the nose cone.
But the other one of the F-4G the beating that "Flying Brick" took and brought its crew back to the FOL WE <img src=newicons/anim_bow.gif border=0 align=middle><img src=icon_smile_approve.gif border=0 align=middle><img src=newicons/smiley_salute.gif border=0 align=middle> that great AIRCRAFT AND CREW.

But back on subject ,

Goose

LIVE FREE OR DIE

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The W-79 was a 5kt ER device.

<b>There are two kinds of soldiers.
Snipers...and targets.</b>
<img src="http://www.creedmoorsports.com/images/SA9121-M21.JPG" border=0>

Anyone ever thought of the Predator/ Global Hawk dropping a nuke? Hell the planes propable cheaper than the munition.

<BLOCKQUOTE id=quote><font size=1 face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id=quote>quote:<hr height=1 noshade id=quote> Hell the planes propable cheaper than the munition.<hr height=1 noshade id=quote></BLOCKQUOTE id=quote></font id=quote><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" size=2 id=quote>
Probably? Hell, [i]I[/[i] can almost afford one of those little RC toys they call the Predator.

They say that the only two things certain in life are death and taxes. I prefer them in that order.

<BLOCKQUOTE id=quote><font size=1 face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id=quote>quote:<hr height=1 noshade id=quote>Hell the planes propable cheaper than the munition. <hr height=1 noshade id=quote></BLOCKQUOTE id=quote></font id=quote><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" size=2 id=quote>

do they have the payload capities to take off with a nuke?

and also, if the plane is expendible, how much different is it compared to missle launched warheads?

Nope, but we're talking tactical nuke here, I'd say.

"Pilots Without Maintainers are Just Pedestrians With Leather Jackets and Cool Sunglasses."

_________________
\"Those who hammer their guns into plows
will plow for those who do not.\"
- Thomas Jefferson

THe predator strikes me as too vulnerable to enemy AAA and SAM systems to be considered for the role.

If you're nuking something i'm gonna go out on a limb and say that it's of the UTMOST importance that the package be delivered on time, and on target.

I'd use the absolute best asset i had, not some cheap 150mph drone...

<b>There are two kinds of soldiers.
Snipers...and targets.</b>
<img src="http://www.creedmoorsports.com/images/SA9121-M21.JPG" border=0>

Remember GULFWAR 1 when Saddam was threating WMD'd and Bush 41 said we would respond in kind if he did and those 3 F-111'S sat on the ground in the S.A "NO LONE ZONE" the works to make him think twice.

Goose

LIVE FREE OR DIE

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\"Live Free Or Die\"