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The U.S. has decided to retire it’s A-10 Warthogs as a cost-cutting measure. Defence Watch reader Dave W. Palmer thinks Canada can benefit. Here is what he writes:

There is little doubt that our aging F-18 Hornet fighter jets are in need of some refurbishing and perhaps even some upgrades. At the potential to save billions of dollars, the acquisition of the A-10 Thunderbolt II (Warthog) would be a significant move to outfit our nation’s fleet of fighters at a fraction of the cost of the F-35, a single engine jet.

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One of our significant roles is search and rescue and getting our hands on a number of A-10 Thunderbolts would provide us with a multi-role aircraft that could get to the site fast and coordinate support rescue whether by air, ground or sea. An overview of the A-10 Thunderbolt can be found here:

http://www.businessinsider.com/the-a-10-thunderbolt-ii-is-the-toughest-most-ferocious-aircraft-in-the-skies-2012-8?op=1



For our troops, the A-10 offers significant advantages of air-cover, proven time and time again. It is a heavily armoured aircraft, having 1200 pounds of protection. Survivability is high even after taking significant damage. Don’t forget, even with one engine out, there is a second engine that can bring the plane home, something that the F-35 can’t boast.