F-35 Pilots Not Happy to Perform A-10 Comparison Tests

David Axe

Security, United States

“Day after day, we’ve executed CAS with zero rounds.”

J. Michael Gilmore, the U.S. Defense Department’s top weapons-tester,confirmed on April 26 that the Pentagon will conduct a head-to-head test of a new F-35 stealth fighter and an old A-10 attack jet in the close-air-support mission.

Critics of the high-tech, budget-busting F-35 and fans of the tried-and-true A-10 — a rugged, purpose-built ground-attack plane — applauded the announcement.

But at least one person is not pleased. Lt. Col. Joshua Wood, an F-35 pilot and the commander of the U.S. Air Force’s 422nd Test and Evaluation Squadron at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada — the unit responsible for developing new tactics for the F-35, A-10 and other front-line Air Force fighters — told Combat Aircraft that the test will not be helpful.

“You run the risk of drawing unrealistic conclusions,” Wood told reporter Steve Davies, who has done excellent work on the 422nd TES and F-35 tactics.

Wood stressed that it was not up to him to decide whether there would be a test. “Dr. Gilmore is the quality assurance check on the military’s acquisition system,” Wood said. “With that in mind, he wants that comparison” between the F-35 and the 1970s-vintage A-10.

Actually, Congress more than anyone else wants the comparison. Lawmakers have repeatedly blocked the Air Force from retiring its roughly 300 A-10s in order to free up a few billion dollars for F-35s.

Wood’s problem with the F-35-versus-A-10 test, he told Davies, is that the two planes — one, single-engine, fast and flimsy; the other twin-engine, slow and sturdy — are too different for a direct comparison. “What I would say is that it’s very important to compare apples to apples.”