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As the United States Air Force and Navy struggle to justify the exorbitant cost of their sixth-generation warplane programs to an understandably skeptical Congress, it’s important to remember that time the military tried to create an entirely new capability using surplus parts. But that was what the Air Force sought to do with their proposed YA-7F Strikefighter. Using old, surplus A-7 Corsair II attack jets, the Air Force made them more maneuverable, installed better engines, and basically created a nighttime supersonic battlefield interdiction jet for cheap.

It was the mid-1980s and the Air Force was trying out new concepts as the Cold War raged and the Reagan administration was on a defense spending spree. Interestingly, that was the time some in the Pentagon opted to start working on a cheap alternative to the costlier warplanes that were favored by the Pentagon. 

The Air Force wanted planes for close-air support (CAS) missions, anticipating the need for such platforms when—and if—the Cold War turned hot and NATO forces found themselves in a shooting war in Europe. Specifically, the Air Force wanted more speed and agility than what its current CAS systems possessed. Back then, the A-10 Thunderbolt II, the Air Force’s primary CAS warplane, got little love. It was viewed by the Air Force brass as being too slow for some modern combat situations.

So, the Air Force wanted to take the resilience of the A-10 but marry it to a faster moving plane. Thus, the YA-7F Strikefighter.

Recycling Greatness 

This bird was based on the subsonic, old A-7 Corsair II attack jet that had served the Air Force and Navy. The Strikefighter was transformed into a transonic aircraft that had the ability to go faster than the speed of sound. The Air Force upgraded the Strikefighter to newer Pratt & Whitney F100-PW-220 engines, providing about 26,000 pounds of thrust, hence its supersonic capabilities. Because of the newer, more potent engine, the fuselage was lengthened by four feet, with the designers adding sections to the fuselage both before and after the wings. That four feet of fuselage improved the speed as well as aerodynamics.

Engineers also made the vertical stabilizer higher and alterations to the original control surfaces for high-speed performance. Therefore, the YA-7F could enjoy a 7-g turn which meant its handling and maneuverability were superior to the A-7 Corsair II on which it was based. Pilots were also given quite a spectacle when flying the bird. After all, this plane, while ugly on the outside, had a modernized cockpit. A heads-up display (HUD) was available and the bird had advanced avionics. 

The plane could explode from 400 to 550 knots while carrying 17,380 pounds of ordnance all in under 15 seconds. What’s more, the bird could sustain a speed of about Mach 1.5 with extra fuel. 

These birds could carry nearly 18,000 pounds of armaments, too.

Prematurely Cut Off 

The YA-7F was very promising when it was prematurely canceled by the Pentagon. The plane was a victim of its own success. Indeed, it was far cheaper (and nearly as effective) as the other planes that were being considered. The military, though, wanted as many shiny new F-16s and other fourth-generation planes as possible—and America’s defense contractors were all too happy to steer the Pentagon in that direction.

Canceling the YA-7F was one of the worst decisions the Pentagon ever made. The plane would have been a useful bird and could have filled CAS roles that required speed and agility. Further, it exemplified the kind of cost-saving the Pentagon could engage without losing any significant capabilities.

It is also a portent of what should be done about the costly Air Force Next-Generation Air Dominance program. America doesn’t need this system. The Pentagon could easily enhance the existing aircraft fleet it has without blowing its budget on building the wünderwaffe.

Unlike the 1980s, when the United States could still somewhat afford the Pentagon’s excess, today the only chance the United States has at surviving is if every American gets more involved and demand an end to the wasteful spending in the Pentagon.

Nevertheless, the YA-7F Strikefighter program is an excellent reminder of why the Air Force should reuse its older platforms to exert power. In today’s strategic and economic environment, the Pentagon should really start reusing platforms. For today’s strategic situation, it is actually far better to reuse and enhance than to take the time to build from scratch. 

Brandon J. Weichert, a National Interest national security analyst, is a former Congressional staffer and geopolitical analyst who is a contributor at The Washington Times, the Asia Times, and The-Pipeline. He is the author of Winning Space: How America Remains a Superpower, Biohacked: China’s Race to Control Life, and The Shadow War: Iran’s Quest for Supremacy. His next book, A Disaster of Our Own Making: How the West Lost Ukraine, is available for purchase wherever books are sold. Weichert can be followed via Twitter @WeTheBrandon.

Image: ivanpotapoff / Shutterstock.com

Источник: nationalinterest.org