0. Not sure what yet I think of it. Will hash out a few things below.
1. Skywarden is not an A-10 replacement. A-10 is meant for high-intensity combined arms mechanized/industrialized conflict. Like what we are seeing in Ukraine. SW is a special operations support plane to be used to support our spec ops guys on mission in BFE-istan or teh People's Republic of Sub-Saharan BFE. Or Main Street, USA.
2. The best analogy is hte Little Bird:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MD_Helicopters_MH-6_Little_BirdRelative to the LB, SW has several times the payload, serious sensor package, beaucoup loiter time, and much more commo.
These are the kind of guys jockeying LBs and presumably SWs whrn they come online:
"After the shootdown of the MH-60L, call sign "Super Six-One", by a rocket-propelled grenade (RPG), an MH-6 Little Bird, call sign "Star Four-One", landed in the street next to the downed MH-60 and attempted to evacuate the casualties. The pilot went to assist survivors, successfully pulling two soldiers into the Little Bird, while the copilot laid down suppressive fire from the cockpit with his individual weapon. Under intense ground fire, the MH-6 departed with its crew and survivors."
3. Looks like they are trying to replace several aircraft with one to cover most/all functions. 4. I think the workload of the two crewmen will be prodigious. They will be humping to please just to keep up with the ISR mission.
