Seeing the Whole Elephant. Envisioning a Successful Light Attack Program for the US Air Force

Abstract

Acquisition of a capable, multirole, light attack capability by the US Air Force (USAF) is not a foregone conclusion. Faced with budgetary pressures, diminishing resources, institutional resistance, and acquisition-system challenges, advocates of reestablishing a light attack capability have encountered substantial difficulty in encouraging the USAF to start a credible program. Much of the work completed thus far has involved advocating for a capability, determining operational requirements, and defining the costs and timelines for acquiring light attack capabilities exemplified by the notional "OA-X" aircraft. This article does none of those things. In order to argue the vision effectively, this discussion paints the complete picture?an idealized view of a complete OA-X program that the USAF aggressively pursues, rapidly procures, and completes by the end of this decade. Written from a 2018 viewpoint, the article looks back on the success of the program. In this case, idealized does not mean entirely free of resource constraints. Although the total fleet size remains undefined, it is considerably larger than the 15-aircraft buy currently envisioned by Headquarters USAF. Notably, the OA-X remains a complementary capability rather than a replacement for either legacy fighters or the F-35; the increased fleet size reflects the likelihood that the emerging demand for this capability will likely prove far greater than anticipated. In order to present a story of a completed program in a relatively short time, the article imposes minimal constraints on acquisition and basing; specifically, it assumes that the USAF can procure off-the-shelf aircraft to meet immediate needs and can base them in locations that make the most sense.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jan 01, 2010
Accession Number
ADA532363

Entities

People

  • Michael W. Pietrucha

Organizations

  • Air and Space Power Journal

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Air Platforms
  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Ground and Sea Platforms
  • Sensors
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Aerial Warfare
  • Air Defense
  • Air Force
  • Aircraft Equipment
  • Aircrafts
  • Airframes
  • Base Closures
  • Combat Operations
  • Fighter Aircraft
  • Military Force Levels
  • Military Organizations
  • Munitions
  • United States
  • United States Special Operations Command
  • Warfare
  • Warning Systems

Readers

  • Aerospace logistics and air mobility.
  • Life Cycle Cost Analysis
  • Systems Analysis and Design