The crazy story of the American YA-7F Strikefighter

Like the US Air Force and Navy struggle to justify the exorbitant cost of their sixth generation warplane programs For an understandably skeptical Congress, it’s important to remember the time when the military attempted to create an entirely new capability using surplus parts. But that’s what the Air Force was trying to do with its project YA-7F attack fighter. Using old, surplus A-7 Corsair II attack planes, the Air Force made them more maneuverable, installed better engines, and essentially created a supersonic night interdiction aircraft on the spot. of battle for cheap.

It was the mid-1980s and the Air Force was trying new concepts as the Cold War raged and the Reagan administration embarked on a defense spending spree. Interestingly, it was around this time that some within the Pentagon chose to begin work on a cheap alternative to the more expensive warplanes favored by the Pentagon.

The Air Force wanted aircraft 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 its current CAS systems possessed. At the time, the A-10 Thunderbolt IIthe Air Force’s primary CAS fighter aircraft, has received little love. It was considered by Air Force leaders to be too slow for some modern combat situations.

So the Air Force wanted to take advantage of the A-10’s resilience but pair it with a faster aircraft. Thus, the YA-7F Strikefighter.

The greatness of recycling

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

Engineers also increased the vertical stabilizer and modified the stock control surfaces for high-speed performance. Therefore, the YA-7F could benefit from a 7 g turn, which meant that its maneuverability and maneuverability were superior to those of the A-7 Corsair II on which it was based. The pilots were also treated to quite a spectacle while flying the bird. After all, this plane, although ugly on the outside, had a modernized cockpit. A heads-up display (HUD) was available and the bird had advanced avionics.

The plane could blast at 400 to 550 knots while carrying 17,380 pounds of munitions in less than 15 seconds. Additionally, the bird could maintain a speed of around Mach 1.5 with additional fuel.

These birds could also carry nearly 18,000 pounds of weaponry.

Cut prematurely

The YA-7F showed great promise when it was prematurely canceled by the Pentagon. The plane was a victim of its own success. Indeed, it was much cheaper (and almost as efficient) as the other planes considered. The military, however, wanted just as many shiny new vehicles F-16 and other fourth-generation aircraft as possible — and U.S. defense contractors were only too happy to steer the Pentagon in that direction.

The cancellation of the YA-7F was one of the worst decisions ever made by the Pentagon. The aircraft would have been a useful bird and could have fulfilled CAS roles requiring speed and agility. Additionally, it illustrates the type of savings the Pentagon can achieve without losing significant capabilities.

It’s also a harbinger of what’s to be done regarding the Air Force’s costly Next Generation Air Dominance program. America doesn’t need this system. The Pentagon could easily upgrade its existing aircraft fleet without blowing its budget to build the Wünderwaffe.

Unlike the 1980s, when the United States could still afford to some extent the excesses of the Pentagon, today the only chance for the United States to survive is for every American to become more involved and demand an end to unnecessary spending at the Pentagon.

Nonetheless, the YA-7F Strikefighter program is a great reminder of why the Air Force should reuse its legacy platforms to exert its power. In the current strategic and economic context, the Pentagon should really start reusing platforms. In the current strategic situation, it is actually much better to reuse and improve rather than take the time to rebuild from scratch.

Brandon J. Weicherta national security project of national interest analystis a former congressman and geopolitical analyst who contributes to The Washington Times, 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.

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