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Return of the OV-10 for USMC?

And all this time I thought I was just an Old F@rt, when actually I am Cutting Edge! Light Attack FOUR flies again! This time, as the "Grey Ponies".

Let me make a few calls to some retirement homes, and I will have the squadron manned-up in no time. Just have a few young guys to help us climb up into the cockpits, and have a few extra pairs of glasses for us.

What was the first US aircraft shot down in Desert Storm? That's right, an OV-10. Always on the cutting edge!:D
 
I'm sure my dad would be right behind you in line to fly the Bronco for the USMC again!
 
OV-10 back again .... ??? THE MORE THINGS CHANGE .... huh??? :)

Now how about some of these ... ???

 
We already have a fast-FAC platform, A4.

Sign me up for that OV-10 gig, baby. I would've loved to have flown them. We definitely need a slow platform that can loiter and fill the gap between helos, UAVs, and SCAR. See this past Marine Gazette for a good article on the Jordanians using a light aircraft for observation, called the Seeker, I believe. Ran on AVGAS, could land on roads, etc. Pretty cool.
 
Our typical ordnance load was:

4 Sponson-mounted M-60's
2 Zuni's (5-inch rockets) on each wing
1 pod of 19 2.75-inch rockets under Sponson
2 pods of 4 Zuni's under Sponsons
1 SUU-11 7.62 mini-gun with 6,000 rds under Sponson
1 pod flares (at night)

Could also carry a centerline 20mm cannon that was a piece of crap.
Could carry a pod of CBU-55 FAE's that were even worse.
 
Wow, suddenly Im joining the Marine Corps with the option to fly the aircraft that my Uncle joined the Marine Corps wanting to fly..... Wierd.
 
phrogdriver said:
We already have a fast-FAC platform, A4......
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You crack me up. Who's talking about "fast-FAC platform(s)" ... whatever a "platform" is ..... :D ...And if I remember, OV-10's could get up and MOVE when they had to .... @ 250 KIAs ??? Kinda fast, anyway ....

I'm more excited about reviving an airplane that doesn't break the bank to fly roads looking for IED's. An airplane that makes sense. Something that doesn't bust procurement budgets to put warheads on the foreheads of those miscreants who are carrying AK's and RPG's .... now how much DOES an F-18 or Harrier "platform":) cost these days, anyway ???

.... I'm more concerned that an OV-10 would be a MANPAD magnet in a relatively open desert environment. I think that is how the USMC OV was bagged in Desert Storm. I guess if helos can handle them (?), an OV-10 can ... in Vietnam there were hills and valleys to use for protection and masking. Plus, nascent MANPADs of the day were few and far between south of the DMZ ... I don't know if that is the case with the "insurgents" in Iraq.

It would be great to see OV-10's back in service again where they make sense .... they saved many, many lives in Vietnam with their helo escort and recce missions. The service of VAL-4 in the Delta is legendary thruout the Navy.

As long as we're fantasizing, why not SPADs and A-4s???

Please indulge my fantasies .... :) A-4's ain't gonna happen again. OV-10's might ....
 
Don't forget the rescues the Black Ponies pulled off too! I'd vote for the SPADS, they can absorb an amazing amount of small arms fire and keep on chugging; plus they can loiter for hours! One of my old CO's first tours was flying SPADS in Nam, he said the only emergency he ever had in one was forgetting his box lunch and coffee jug :-) What ever they come up with, just throw an ALE-137 pod and Frog Eyes on it and you've doubled the pilot's protection and both those are already in the supply system.
 
Wouldn't be the first time. After the Navy retired the SP-2H Neptune, the Army took some, converted them to the AP-2H attack aircraft, gave them to some old-as-dirt Army warrants, and had a merry old time harrassing the Viet Cong. We roomed with some of these guys (The Black Cats) in Vietnam. Man, could they drink!
 

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Sorry to break up the love fest, but the whole idea sounds kind of far fetched to me. Seems like by the time you got all the airframes up and running, squadrons stood up and aircrew trained, the whole IED thing would be OBE. Besides the cost issue, what would the OV-10 be able to do that a helo or fast mover couldn't WRT to the IED patrol concept?

Brett
 
Barnard1425 said:
1. Don´t know what "OBE" means, but if you think that we´ll be done with IEDs anytime real soon you´ll find plenty of people to disagree with you. I´m not saying that we won´t defeat the insurgency (I´m confident we will), just that we´ll be dealing with IEDs for a long time. All it takes is a few fanatics and a few pounds of explosives...

2. I assume that the OV-10 can loiter for much longer than either a helo or fast mover, though I could be wrong (it happened once before :D ).

I do agree that this seems far-fetched. Aren´t there much more pressing priorities with respect to airframe procurement (JSF, V-22, F-22, AH-1Z, UH-1Y, gold Daytons for Brett´s Prowler, MMA, etc.)?
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The answer to your question is included in your own post. I honestly don't see how one can defeat IEDs by patrolling the area from the air. BTW, what's a gold Dayton?

Brett
 
Brett327 said:
The answer to your question is included in your own post. I honestly don't see how one can defeat IEDs by patrolling the area from the air. BTW, what's a gold Dayton?

Brett
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He wants to add some "Bling" to your flying Drumstick with these.

P1090021.JPG


But if you really want to be a baller, you gots to get yourself some of these.
http://www.leftlanenews.com/2006/03/25/forget-the-spinners-pimp-rims-go-hi-tech/
 
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