Semi-OT: Red Dawn fan fic

[Matt Wiser]

And the F-4's "Younger Brother", the F-15:


The F-15 Eagle in World War III


The McDonnell-Douglas F-15 Eagle served as the USAF's primary air superiority fighter during the Third World War, Although initially hampered by the need to relocate McDonnell-Douglas' F-15 production line from St. Louis to Long Beach, CA, the company was able to support the F-15 community, continue production of the C/D models, and continue development of the F-15E. In addition, license production by Mitsubishi in Japan for both JASDF and USAF continued during the war. Both F-15C/D and F-15E versions continue to serve in the USAF, with Active, Reserve, and Air National Guard squadrons. This work examines F-15 variants that saw service during the war and afterwards.

F-15A: Initial version; 382 produced 1972-1979. APG-63 radar, Pratt and Whitney F100-100 engine.

F-15B: Two-seat conversion trainer version with full combat capabilities. Originally designated TF-15, 61 built 1972-79.

F-15C: Improved single-seat version. 950 built at St. Louis and Long Beach 1979-1990. Additional production from Japan. Some built with APG-70 radar, all now carry APG-63 (V)2 radar.

F-15D: Two-seat training version of C. 180 built 1979-1990. Additional USAF procurement from Japan.

F-15E: Two-seat multirole fighter produced 1986-present. Conformal fuel tanks, LANTIRN FLIR/targeting pods, F110-229 engines. No Japanese production during the war.

F-15G: oeWild Weasel version of E; produced 1995-2009. LANTIRN, APR-47 (V), F110-229 engines. No FMS sales.

F-15I: F-15E version for Israeli AF.

F-15J: Japanese license-built version of F-15C.

F-15DJ: Japanese version of F-15D. Built both in St. Louis and in Japan.

F-15K: ROKAF version of F-15E.

F-15S: Royal Saudi AF version of F-15E.

F-15SG: Version of F-15E for Republic of Singapore AF.


World War III Operators:

USAF (active and ANG); AFRES service postwar. Combat in East Asia, Cuban Intervention, Baja War, air defense sorties during fall of Rump USSR.

Israeli AF: IDF/AF operated A/B and C/D models during oeArmed Neutrality period. Frequent strikes into Lebanon during this period, and encounters with Syrian AF MiGs. F-15I delivered postwar.

Royal Saudi AF: RSAF C/D versions flew air sovereignty missions during the war. F-15S delivered in 1990s, with several attrition replacement C models. Upgrade to SA version ongoing by McAir.

Republic of Korea Air Force: F-15K selected as replacement for F-4D. Combat service in oeWar of Korean Unification after fall of Rump USSR. Follow-on order for 30 additional aircraft not canceled to most observers' surprise. 65 aircraft ordered, 45 in service.

Republic of Singapore AF: F-15SG delivered as replacement for A-4SU Skyhawk. Deliveries continuing. Singapore AF operates joint training detachment (425th Tactical Fighter Training Squadron) at Mountain Home AFB, Idaho under the USAF's 366th Tactical Fighter Wing

[Matt Wiser]

Matt just remind me who is in this war as your write-up is now so vast it would take weeks to go back reading through it

Good Guys: USA, UK, Canada, South Korea.

I think Japan, China, Australia and Israel are also on the good side. Who else

Bad Guys: USSR, East Germany, Cuba, Libya, Nicaragua and Mexico

Other baddies I think are Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Bulgaria, Vietnam, North Korea. Are they also in North America and who else is on the Soviet side

And what of the French

As of May '87, this is the lineup:

Allies: U.S.; UK, Canada, South Korea, Taiwan, Australia, New Zealand

China's in a special category as there is no PRC government left after the RSVN (Strategic Rocket Forces) used China as a live-fire range for SS-18s and SS-20s. There are PLA elements in the field who are loyal to the idea of the PRC, but China has splintered. Tibet is now an independent nation, Taiwan has taken control of Fujian Province on the other side of the Straits, Hong Kong remains British, Macao is still Portuguese, and there's a dozen splinter states in between Hong Kong and Manchuria.

Pro-Allied but ostensibly neutral: Israel, Egypt, Japan, Turkey, Brazil, South Africa, Panama.

Neutralist (those countries that were part of NATO before it broke up for the most part): West Germany, Holland, Belgium, Italy, Spain, Portugal (Though the Allies have use of Lajes Field in the Azores), Norway, Denmark. Iceland was seized by the Soviets on Day two of the war, and was liberated in Summer, 1987.

The Communist Bloc (ComBloc for short):

USSR, Cuba, Nicaragua, Mexico, East Germany, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Bulgaria, North Korea, El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala.

Vietnam allows Soviet use of Cam Ranh Bay, but is otherwise sitting it out.

[sofiaprimera124]

incredible!

well, i'm new, but i just entered this topic, hey girl is awesome, i would like to know where i can get those fanfics but i didn't know what else you wrote, it will help me learn more these days

[Matt Wiser]

Here's the first armor fact file: the M-60 series...


The M-60 Patton tank in World War III


The M-60 Patton tank was, at the time of the outbreak of the Third World War, still the primary main battle tank of the U.S. Army and Marine Corps, as well as National Guard and Reserve units, though the M-48 was still in Reserve service. Though being replaced by the M-1 Abrams in 1985, the M-60 served throughout the war, and is still in service (in the M-60A4 variant) in National Guard and Army Reserve units today. This work will cover those variants that saw service during the war and after:

M-60A1: Initial main production version with IR/White light searchlight, and M68 105-mm main gun. U.S. Army versions upgraded to M-60A3 standard. USMC M-60A1 RISE Passive version fitted with improved night vision equipment and reactive armor. USMC versions replaced by M-60A4 version during the war, with the M-1A1 replacing all USMC M-60s in the 1990s.

M-60A2: oeStarship version fitted with 152-mm gun/missile launcher for the Shillelagh missile. All converted to either M-60A3 standard or to bridgelayer vehicles.

M-60A3: Primary U.S. Army version during the war. TTS version began entering service in 1980. Thermal sight, laser rangefinder, and ballistic computer as standard. Production continued during the war, though secondary to the M-1 and M-1A1.. Reactive armor added to U.S. Army vehicles, and those in service with both the ROK Expeditionary Force and the Taiwanese 1st Mechanized Division. Most survivors converted postwar either to M-60A4 standard or to bridgelayers.

M-60A4: Final version for both U.S. Army and USMC. M-60A4-105 fitted with same turret as the M-1 Abrams with the standard 105-mm gun. M-60A4-120 fitted with same 120-mm gun as used on the M-1A1. Introduced 1987 for baseline version, early 1989 for the 120-mm armed version. Largely out of service by 2010, but some saw combat in the Baja War.

M-60AVLB: Bridgelayer version with a 60-foot scissors bridge.

M-60MCLIC: Modified AVLB fitted with two MCLC (Mine Clearing Line Charge) launchers in place of scissors bridge.

M-728 CEV: Combat Engineer Vehicle with A-frame and 165-mm demolition gun used for bunker-busting and for urban warfare.

Wartime Users:

U.S. (Army, Marine Corps)

South Korea: ROK units with M-48 transitioned to the M-60A3 prior to being committed to combat. ROK purchased surplus M-60A3s to convert to A4 standard postwar.

Taiwan: Primary tank for the ROC 1st Mechanized Division serving with U.S. Sixth Army.

[Matt Wiser]

The M-1 fact file:


The M-1 Abrams family in World War III

First produced in 1979, after a lengthy gestation period dating from the failed MBT-70 program, the M-1 Abrams withstood journalistic and Congressional skepticism to emerge from the Third World War as one of the two top main battle tanks in the world (the Challenger being the other). Seeing service in all theaters, and with extensive postwar service, the M-1 family still serves the U.S. Army and Marine Corps, and also serves with several foreign customers. This work will cover the M-1 family that saw service in the war, and in postwar conflicts.

M-1: Initial production version produced 1979-83. Armed with a 105-mm L7 gun with 55 rounds, Thermal sight, laser rangefinder, Chobham Armor.

IPM1: Upgraded M1 with M-1A1 turret, thicker armor, turret bustle. Retained 105-mm gun.

M1A1: Produced beginning 1985, with Rheinmetall L44 120-mm gun produced under license at Waterlivet Arsenal, New York. Pressurized NBC system, improved armor. Combat debut limited in 1986 with its major debut at Wichita in 1987.

M1A1HA: Improved Chobham armor (including Depleted Uranium inserts),

M1A1HC: 2nd Generation Depleted Uranium inserts, digital engine controls. Primary USMC version.

M1A1AIM: Older units reconditioned to near zero-hour condition; digital engine controls, Blue Force Tracker, tank-infantry phone, improved thermal sight. Standard Abrams variant in National Guard and Reserve service.

M1A2: First oeDigital battlefield version with commander's independent thermal sight, Blue Force tracker added, 2nd generation DU armor inserts.

M1A2SEP: System Enhancement Package: Third Generation DU inserts added to armor, upgraded thermal sight and Blue Force Tracker. Standard U.S. Army version.

M1A3: Prototypes under development, initial trials FY 16. Lighter 120-mm gun, added road wheels, lighter track, current wiring replaced with fiber optics, improved armor.

M1AGDS: Air Defense Gun System with radar, Thermal Sights and laser rangefinder. Twin 35-mm cannon and 12 ADATS missiles for either anti-armor or antiaircraft use. Primary U.S. Army battlefield air defense system.

M1 Grizzly CEV: Combat Engineering Vehicle with multirole arm, dozer blade/mine plow, In U.S. Army service.

M104 Wolverine Heavy Assault Bridge: AVLB on M1 chassis.

M1 Assault Breacher Vehicle: Version with mine plow/blade, and MCLIC line charges for dealing with minefields. In U.S. Army and Marine service; exported to Australia

M1 ARV: Armored Recovery vehicle: planned replacement for M-88 ARV. In prototype status, with service trials set for FY 16.

Users:

U.S. Army: Combat in Texas and Arizona from the beginning of the war (M-1 and IPM1). M1A1 in wide use beginning Battle of Wichita 1987. M1A2 series primary U.S. Army MBT, M1A1 series still in ARNG and Reserve service, alongside remaining M-60A4-120 tanks.

U.S. Marine Corps: M1A1 saw limited use in USMC: first combat in the Kola raid. Replaced M-60 series after the war, though USMC M1A1s saw combat in liberation of Guam. M1A1HC primary USMC version.

Australia: Australian Army adopted the M1A1 in 1994.

Egypt: M1A1 supplied to Egyptian Army in 1990s. Production continues in Egypt today.

Kuwait: Kuwaiti Army supplied with M1A2 in 1997, after competition with Challenger and Leopard II.

Saudi Arabia: Saudi Army supplied with M1A2 in 1995, after competition between Leopard II and LeClerc.

Taiwan: ROC Army was the only wartime allied user: with M1 series tanks supplied to the ROC 1st Mechanized Division in the Southwest. ROC upgraded to M1A1 for duty on mainland in anti-warlord operations.

[Matt Wiser]

Here's the T-72 in the Red Dawn timeline:


The T-72 tank in World War III


The Soviet T-72 was one of the most widely used tanks in the Third World War, being built not only in the Soviet Union, but under license in both Poland and Czechoslovakia. Intended to replace the T-54/55 series as the workhorse of the Soviet armor force, as the oelow in the High-Low mix, with the T-64 and then the T-80 as the oeHigh end, the T-72 saw action in all theaters, and on both sides, with U.S., British, and Canadian forces making use of captured specimens. The tank naturally saw extensive service during the Second Russian Civil War, in conflicts in the Caucasus and Central Asia, and in the fall of the Rump USSR. This work will cover those versions of the T-72 that saw service during the war.


T-72 oeUral Initial production version first seen in 1973. 125-mm D-81TM gun, coincidence rangefinder.

T-72K: Command version of T-72. Versions produced for company, battalion, and regimental commanders. Radio fit depended on specific commander's version.

T-72 Export: Export version sold to Iraq and Syria, also license-built in Poland.

T-72 Ural-M: Modernized version of T-72. New 2A46 125-mm gun, coincidence rangefinder removed and replaced with laser rangefinder, and smoke grenade launchers. .

T-72A: Further modernization of oeUral. 2A46 gun, laser rangefinder, provision for reactive armor as available (though many in North America never had it installed), additional composite armor added to turret top and front-given the nickname of oeDolly Parton by U.S. Army tankers.

T-72AK: Command versions of T-72A.

T-72M: Downgraded export version of T-72A. Produced under license in both Poland and Czechoslovakia. Main oemonkey model meant for wartime production in Soviet factories converted to manufacturing tanks.

T-72MK: Command version of T-72M.

T-72M1: Export version with thicker armor than T-72M.

T-72B: Most advanced T-72 version to see combat in North America. Much improved version over T-72A. 1A-40 fire control system, thicker armor with additional composite armor on turret front and top; codenamed oeSuper Dolly Parton by U.S. Army; 2A46M main gun, AT-11 Sniper missile capability, and new engine.

BREM-1: Armored Recovery Vehicle based on T-72 chassis.

IMR-2: Combat Engineer Vehicle with telescoping crane, dozer blade, and mine-clearing system.

MTU-72: Bridgelayer based on T-72 Chassis.

Users:

Soviet Army: Standard tank used in Soviet Motor-Rifle Divisions and independent MR Brigades or Regiments. Also used in Cat 2 Tank Divisions.

Cuban Army: Main tank used by Cuban Motor-Rifle Divisions and by Independent Tank Brigades. Many of which had to revert to T-62s due to war losses.

East German Army: Standard MBT in first-line Panzer and Panzergrenadier divisions. Encountered both in North America and in the campaign in East Germany in 1989.

Czech Army: Standard MBT of Czech Tank divisions and in tank regiment of MR divisions. Encountered in both North America and Eastern Europe.

Polish Army: Used in first-line Tank and MR Divisions. Also seen in North America and in Europe.

Libyan Army: Libyan T-72s encountered in Colorado during reduction of Pueblo Pocket, 1987, and by ROK Expeditionary Force in Texas, 1988.

Captured Vehicles:

Several captured T-72s of varying types were captured by both U.S and British forces, and sent to various centers for evaluation in both the U.S and Britain. A number were captured by guerillas in Arkansas and Oklahoma in 1986-7 and saw combat during the liberation of both states during Operation PRAIRIE FIRE. The 83rd Mechanized Infantry Division (the oeRag-Tag Circus of WW II fame) captured enough T-72s to form at least one battalion entirely equipped with the vehicle, and tried to ensure that enemy supply and parts depots in their line of advance were not attacked by artillery or air strikes. Many of the division's T-72s were manned by female soldiers due to their small stature and being able to fit more comfortably inside the tank than many male soldiers. Canadian and British forces using captured T-72s followed suit. Due to the unpredictability of acquiring 125-mm ammunition during the war, samples of captured 125-mm rounds were provided to Egypt, where a production line for 125-mm HE-FRAG and HEAT rounds was set up. Also, 125-mm SABOT rounds were obtained via Yugoslavia, where the M-84 license-built version was being built for the Yugoslav Army.

[cawest]

I remember seeing a pick of a tiger II with a big white star and used by an US crew. to bad they did not make a homemade canaster round for those captured tanks

[cawest]

I have an idea for a WW or RF-4. How about replacing the W79s with F-100s-PW229 or the like

the J79 has 11905ibf and about 17800 wet (afterburner)
dry weight 3850 pounds
38 inch around at its widest.

the F100 PW229 has a dry of 17800 and more at afterburner
dry weight is 3230 pounds
34.8 to 46.5 inch around.

this would make the parts more compatible with other units and frees up parts for the other F4 units.

the lower weight would help with WW mission and the engine power would help the RF-4s. I would not put them in front line f-4s the airframe mods would take awhile. 8inchs on each side of your ears is not something that would be easy to deal with.

what do you think

[Panther Al]

I have an idea for a WW or RF-4. How about replacing the W79s with F-100s-PW229 or the like

the J79 has 11905ibf and about 17800 wet (afterburner)
dry weight 3850 pounds
38 inch around at its widest.

the F100 PW229 has a dry of 17800 and more at afterburner
dry weight is 3230 pounds
34.8 to 46.5 inch around.

this would make the parts more compatible with other units and frees up parts for the other F4 units.

the lower weight would help with WW mission and the engine power would help the RF-4s. I would not put them in front line f-4s the airframe mods would take awhile. 8inchs on each side of your ears is not something that would be easy to deal with.

what do you think

The Israeli's did exactly that with one Phantom.

As a test bed for what they called the "Super Phantom" they put the F4 on a diet by replacing old bulky and heavy wiring looms with newer lighter ones, a modern state of the art (Mid 80's) radar, digital cockpit, all the agility upgrades they could think of, improved bits and pieces throughout, Conformal Fuel Tanks with more fuel and less drag than the standard drop tanks as an option, and most importantly, new engines.

They talked to Pratt and Whitney and had them make a more compact F100 series engine that was currently in use in their F15's, The same amount of thrust, 70% parts commonality, and all in a somewhat smaller package and called it the PW1120.

With both engines installed the Super Phantom had a T:W ratio of 1.04. Yes, more thrust than weight, with the conformal tanks, allowing it to break the sound barrier without burners and super cruise. It had a roughly 36% faster climb rate, and a 15% improvement in sustained turns. It could fly further, accelerate faster, and use a shorter runway than the then brand new F15E Strike Eagle.

In 87, they demo'd the Super Phantom at Paris, to the amazement of all that saw it with its insane performance.

However, it wasn't meant to be. The cost of upgrading an F4E to "0" Hours and with all the upgrades was estimated to be 12 million dollars: to buy a then brand new F18, you would be looking at about spending 30 million for an admittedly newer, but inferior aircraft. And since MacDonald Douglas built both the F4 and the F18, it is widely rumored that they pushed P&W to kill the FW1120 program to kill any chance of such a package being on the market to outsell its own F18.

[Adm.Lee]

Wargaming aside

I think I've mentioned that I am enamored of the wargame "Red Storm", a raid-level hex & counter air game set in May-June 1987. I'm deep in a PBEM scenario (my 3rd) in which I planned a NATO strike on the 1st day of the war.

Plotting the roles for the F-4s in the strike was interesting, since there were so many options for air-ground loads. The "main body" of the mission is 16 Belgian F-16A, the escort is 8 W.German F-4F, and the SEAD element is USAF 4 F-4E and 4 F-4G. The F-4Es are the utility infielders, as I loaded them with Mavericks and EOG bombs, but they also have Sparrows for beyond-visual-range air-to-air, which the CAP fighters do not

I now return you to your regularly-scheduled Red Dawn

[rcaf_777]

Users:

U.S. Army: Combat in Texas and Arizona from the beginning of the war (M-1 and IPM1). M1A1 in wide use beginning Battle of Wichita 1987. M1A2 series primary U.S. Army MBT, M1A1 series still in ARNG and Reserve service, alongside remaining M-60A4-120 tanks.

U.S. Marine Corps: M1A1 saw limited use in USMC: first combat in the Kola raid. Replaced M-60 series after the war, though USMC M1A1s saw combat in liberation of Guam. M1A1HC primary USMC version.

Australia: Australian Army adopted the M1A1 in 1994.

Egypt: M1A1 supplied to Egyptian Army in 1990s. Production continues in Egypt today.

Kuwait: Kuwaiti Army supplied with M1A2 in 1997, after competition with Challenger and Leopard II.

Saudi Arabia: Saudi Army supplied with M1A2 in 1995, after competition between Leopard II and LeClerc.

Taiwan: ROC Army was the only wartime allied user: with M1 series tanks supplied to the ROC 1st Mechanized Division in the Southwest. ROC upgraded to M1A1 for duty on mainland in anti-warlord operations.

What no Canada

[Matt Wiser]

They used the Leo Is and Challenger during the war, and replacements of Leo Is lost in combat showed up in Canadian ports with their serial numbers sanded off. Turns out that as the Bundeswehr replaced the Leo I with the Leo II, Leo Is not sent to their Territorial Army units wound up in Canada. Postwar, the Canadian Army adopted the Challenger.

[Matt Wiser]

And the M2 Bradley:


The M-2 Bradley in World War III



The M-2 Bradley was the U.S. Army's answer to the Soviet BMP, and though criticized by Congressmen and oedefense correspondents in the prewar years, served with distinction during the Third World War. First fielded in 1983, the vehicle saw combat from the first days of the war to the last, and has served in several postwar conflicts in both U.S., as well as foreign, service. This fact file covers the Bradley's wartime variants, as well as its postwar service.

Variants:


M2: The initial production variant, produced by FMC (later United Defense) at its San Jose, CA plant. Armed with an M242 25-mm Bushmaster cannon firing APDS-T and HEI-T ammunition, TOW missile launcher (two ready rounds plus five reloads), M240 Coax 7.62-mm machine gun, and six M231 firing port weapons. Thermal sight fitted as standard . Cummins 600 HP engine with HPMT hydro-mechanical transmission. Crew of three plus six infantry.

M2A1: Improved version fitted with TOW II ATGM, Gas Particulate Filter Unit NBC system, and improved fire-suppression system. Seat for a seventh infantryman added behind turret.

M2A2: Entered service in 1988 based on wartime experience. Troop number reduced to six, with armor improvements added. Kevlar spall liners added, side firing ports blocked by additional armor, and ability to carry reactive armor, and considered able to withstand 30-mm rounds.Troop number reduced to six.

M2A2A1: Final wartime version in 1989, but too late for combat. Eye-safe laser rangefinder installed, thermal sight for driver, combat indentification system, and TACNAV system for commander. Primary version used by ARNG and Army Reserve.

M2A3: Fielded in FY 2000. Fully digital combat system for commander, gunner and driver. Improved thermal sights, Commander's independent thermal sight, Force XXI Battlefield Command Information System, and GPS/INS all standard. Improved reactive armor and mine protection installed, and improved NBC system. Standard Regular Army version, with some now being issued to ARNG and Army Reserve units.

M2A4: Final version with improved engine, transmission, lightweight shock absorbers. Armament and electronics same as A3 version. Fielded beginning FY 15.

M3: Cavalry version of M2, with two dismounted scouts instead of infantry squad. Improved versions designated M3A2, M3A3, M3A4, respectively with same improvements as M2. Increased TOW missile capacity (12 reloads plus two in launcher).

M4 Command Vehicle: Command vehicle based on MLRS chassis, which is based on the M2 Chassis. Augments, but does not replace, M577 CP vehicle. Used as Corps and Division mobile TAC CP, and TOC at Brigade and Battalion.

Warhammer Bradley: M2A3s fitted with twin Javelin missile launcher in place of TOW-II.

M6 Bradley Linebacker: Air defense version with four-round Stinger launcher. Replaced by M105 ADGS, and vehicles converted to M2A3 standard.

M7 Bradley FIST: Version used by artillery FIST teams for fire direction. FIST equipment replaces the TOW launcher, but cannon and machine gun retained.

M270 MLRS: Multiple-launch rocket system (see later fact file)

M993: Tracked cargo carrier based on MLRS.


Service History:

In service with the 1st Cavalry and 2nd Armored Divisions at the outbreak of war, the vehicle gave excellent service during the initial invasion, and in the campaigns that followed. Production continued at San Jose, and at a second plant in DeKalb, IL during the war. The Bradley became the primary infantry vehicle used by the Army, but it did not replace the M-113 APC until the late 1990s. Crews found that they easily outshot the BMP-1 and BMP-2, and easily outgunned the BTR series. Enterprising crews even used the 25-mm gun to take enemy armor from the flanks and rear, with the T-55 and T-62 being vulnerable, and even T-72s were killed on occasion. Combat service postwar in the Baja War, Iraq, and Afghanistan.

The Bradley also saw service with Canada, the ROC, and the ROK Army during the war and after.


Users:

U.S. Army: Combat throughout the war, in both Southern and Northern Theaters and in Eastern Europe.

Canadian Army: Fielded along with the Warrior in Canadian Army mechanized infantry units. Adopted by the Canadians postwar as their primary IFV in Regular Army units.

ROC Army: Main IFV used by 1st Taiwanese Mechanized Division, and later used on the mainland in anti-warlord campaigns.

ROK Army: Used by ROK Expeditionary Force in Southwest, and later on, by ROK Capital Corps in place of KIFV infantry vehicle. Used in peacekeeping operations in former North Korea after fall of the Rump USSR and nuclear strikes on North Korea.


Postwar:

Australia: Adopted by Australian Army in 1990s to replace the M-113.

Saudi Arabia: Adopted in 1995 as M-113 replacement for Royal Saudi Army.

UAE: Adopted 2000 by UAE Ground Forces to replace French VCI series.


Captured Vehicles: A number of captured Bradleys were taken to the USSR by the Soviets during the war for evaluation. One found at the Kubinka Tank Museum in Moscow, while several others were discovered at various Soviet Army test and training grounds.

One additional example was found at Havana's Museum of the Revolution after the fall of the Castro Regime, and has since been returned to the U.S.

[Matt Wiser]

And an aircraft that would've been a familiar sight in the Red Dawn TL and over Twilight War battlefields prior to the nuclear exchanges-and still a common sight in the Gulf Theater....


The A-10 Warthog in World War III


The Fairchild-Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II, more popularly known by the men and women who fly or maintain it, along with the general public, as the Warthog, had a distinguished career in the Third World War, as well as in the Cuba Intervention and the Baja War. Indeed, the aircraft's war service was enough to promote export sales, as South Korea, Israel, Taiwan, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey became operators of the A-10 postwar, along with Canada. The following are the variants of the A-10 that saw service, initially with the USAF, and later on, with overseas customers.

A-10A: Initial production version for the USAF. Deployed to England, South Korea, and Alaska prewar as well as to wings in the Continental United States. Production continued during the war at the Fairchild-Republic plant in Hagerstown, MD, with production for FMS customers postwar.

A-10B: Prototype Night/All Weather two-seat variant. Initially rejected by the USAF prewar, the aircraft was put into production as a Forward Air Control platform in 1986. The aircraft was fitted for, but not with, the avionics for the Night and All Weather mission, until the LANTIRN pod system became available in 1989. Two squadrons so fitted flew against the Brownsville Pocket and also against Cuba, attacking Cuban transportation targets as prelude to the planned invasion.

A-10C: Upgraded A-10A with LANTIRN and digital avionics. JDAM capability added in 2005-7. Aircraft saw combat in both Cuba and Mexico. FMS upgrades continuing.

A-10D: Upgraded B with full LANTIRN and digital avionics as per the A-10C.


Users:

USAF

RCAF

Postwar users:

Israel

Republic of China

Saudi Arabia

Turkey


Seven A-10 pilots (four posthumously) won the Medal of Honor during the war. An additional seventeen others won the Air Force Cross (six posthumously) for wartime heroism.

[cawest]

liked the a-10 love. does anyone remember if they fit harpoons to the A10. I know that they test fitted 4 to the Ah-64 at Fort Rucker AL.