Great Pic of A10 What is the pod with the black tip?

More here: http://imgur.com/a/zOg1E

electronic countermeasures

I found the answer. Targeting Pods. Laser.

It's been 25 years, but I'd bet it is ECM.

It's an ALQ-184 ECM pod. Google will turn up more pictures.

...interesting in the context of the A-10 Divestiture debate... that despite what the AF leadership proclaims otherwise the A-10 can indeed be outfitted with advanced ECM technology that enhances its capability to operate in environments other than just the low intensity battles...

I wouldn't say that as a blanket statement - they can operate marginally in some other environments, but there's no such thing as a klingon cloaking device.

(still a Hog fan though, just trying to be realistic)

"I wouldn't say that as a blanket statement - they can operate marginally in some other environments, but there's no such thing as a klingon cloaking device."

...agreed, and that's why I stated only that it "enhances its capability to operate in environments other than just the low intensity battles..."

...and of course you'd have to further define its ability to only "operate marginally in some other environments..." just not buying that argument...just because the AF is apparently not planning to utilize the A-10 in other environments doesn't mean that it couldn't do so...back to the too risk adverse mindset.

...of perhaps a greater concern though is that the AF leadership isn't informing the American Public that in high intensity conflicts the A-10-- with direct fire weapons like its gun-- would be much more effective than the F-35 and other fast movers which relies in large part on precision-guided weapons and GPS technology that could be nullified by the bad guys ECM efforts

(big F-15 fan here...awesome aircraft that came into our inventory back in the day during the height of the Cold War...great to see it still taking care of business)

I think just about anything would be more effective than the F-35 - at nearly any mission other than self-escorted deep strike against a robust IADS with no advanced a/a players. That's a pretty specific spot to be awesome in.

The A-10 is awesome at CAS and taking care of troops, armor, etc. I'm no a/g expert by any means but there are lots of ways that fast movers can get warheads on foreheads without GPS. The problem with the A-10 in a high intensity conflict is that it's so damn slow. They can't run away from threats which makes it very difficult to protect them. We may only be able to punch a hole in the JEZ around a target area for 5 mins after a supersonic run into the target from 100 miles away - in that time a Strike Eagle or F-16 (maybe even a Hornet) can get to the target, get one pass and have time for a quick reattack. The Hogs are still 10 mins out when the window closes. Tough problem for sure; that's just another reason they are prime for low-intensity arenas - in that case there's nothing better.

"The A-10 is awesome at CAS and taking care of troops, armor, etc. I'm no a/g expert by any means but there are lots of ways that fast movers can get warheads on foreheads without GPS."

...but setting aside just GPS for a moment, the fast movers systems generally-- such as other precision guided munitions as laser-- are more vulnerable to the enemy ECM and other defensive efforts than the A-10 is....hard to interfere with the trajectory of the gatling gun

...and there are environments such as poor vis, restricted terrain, and low ceilings where we know from recent conflicts that the A-10 is the only aircraft that is able to get "warheads on foreheads" as you say

"The problem with the A-10 in a high intensity conflict is that it's so damn slow.They can't run away from threats which makes it very difficult to protect them."

...the problem with fast movers is that their so damn fast--not effective in the CAS role

...maybe true that it is difficult to protect the Hog in some environments...but bear in mind that they were never meant to operate on the battlefield by itself but rather in a combined arms effort..a M1 Tank is difficult to protect as well if it operates by itself--but if part of an integrated task force its survival rate is higher...

" We may only be able to punch a hole in the JEZ around a target area for 5 mins after a supersonic run into the target from 100 miles away - in that time a Strike Eagle or F-16 (maybe even a Hornet) can get to the target, get one pass and have time for a quick reattack. The Hogs are still 10 mins out when the window closes. Tough problem for sure; that's just another reason they are prime for low-intensity arenas - in that case there's nothing better"

...if the A-10s are deployed forward with the ground maneuver units as its original designers envisioned they will be much closer than 10 minutes out...and once on station have much more ammo to stick around and make many more gun runs than any fast movers...

Did this thread really start up again?

Donald: They won't ever be 10 mins out. Too much AF support train (weapons, fire, mx, parts, fuel shop, tire shop, etc, etc, etc) We (USAF) have no idea of how to curtail a support chain. And they need a lot of runway/desert lake bed when fully loaded.

All your points about what you think could happen with defending the A-10 is based on theory you've read. My points are based on doing it for real.

As I've mentioned before, it's not just the A-10's that use the gun. (although they do have more bullets and bigger ones). Lasers are tough to defend against because so many platforms have them. GPS jammer plus a multi-spectral off-axis laser jammer with the correct codes? Pretty doubtful.

The too-fast for good CAS is clearly open for debate. Of which I don't know because I'm not a CAS guy.

The Marines do CAS just fine with "fast movers" Donald.

Ben - did you really say "maybe even a Hornet"?
Come now

I was really just talking about the new supers - they can barely get supersonic. No fast run ins for those guys. The legacy ones may be able to or not depending on config. - I'm just getting all this from the Hornet guys I fly with.

"Donald: They won't ever be 10 mins out. Too much AF support train (weapons, fire, mx, parts, fuel shop, tire shop, etc, etc, etc) We (USAF) have no idea of how to curtail a support chain. And they need a lot of runway/desert lake bed when fully loaded.

All your points about what you think could happen with defending the A-10 is based on theory you've read. My points are based on doing it for real."

...hmm...looks like fighting words....fine and dandy...let's dig a little deeper then...

...agreed, they will never be 10 minutes out if the current AF risk adverse white ascot wearing mentality rules and we base the A-10 in rear areas miles away from the fight....of course, on the other hand, deploy the A-10 forward with the ground maneuver elements as the AF did in Europe during the Cold War and as the designers such as Pierre Sprey and others had planned for and you'll be in business..

...don't know, my friend, why you resort to making it personal when you say my "theory" is based on what I have "read", and yours are somehow doing it for "real"...my experience, my friend is being stationed on the ground in Berlin and Europe during the height of the Cold War and having the Honor of knowing Hog Pilots and having a good understanding of what role they would play in taking on the Warsaw Pact forces had they chosen to come thru the Fulda Gap...back then there wasn't discussion from the AF about "near peer" environments and that the A-10s couldn't survive in a "contested" environment...nope, was pretty basic that if the bad guys came across thru the Fulda Gap that the Hog Pilots would have gotten in their aircraft and have been in the thick of things alongside our outstanding Army troops from units such as the 11TH ACR...no belly- aching in those days from the AF then about how "tough" it would be to operate the Hog in a high intensity environment...

...and, by the way my friend, please share with us your experiences of defending the A-10 for "real" in a high intensity conflict...tick, tock

...and, I'm calling B.S. that the A-10s need "a lot of runway" to take off when fully loaded...pls share with us your stats on what a "lot of runway" entails vis a via what the fast movers require...

"As I've mentioned before, it's not just the A-10's that use the gun."

...do, tell...please share with us what fast movers use the "gun" and compare and contrast their capabilities vis a via the Hog as it relates to putting lead on the ground in support of the Infantry engaged with the bad guys

...more to the point--how many rounds does the F35 carry as compared to the A-10?

____________________
"The Marines do CAS just fine with "fast movers" Donald."

...the Marine Corps pilots are among the finest in the world and they conduct CAS to the best of their ability with the aircraft they have....

...but, as is well documented--ask any Marine Corps Infantry Officers (arguably the finest Infantrymen in the World) that have been in the fight most recently and they will tell you hands down that the A-10 is their preferred platform of choice when the going gets tough...it's not really even a debatable point...