(Kevin Brooks) wrote in message news

Not quite. It missed Grenada, where the only CAS missions were flown
by the USN and USAF AC-130's, and it was also not used in Panama,
where IIRC the only fixed wing CAS missions were flown by the ANG
A-7's that were down there on rotation (and that strange F-117
mission...).

Well, when you cruise at 250 knots, the war is sometimes going to be
over before you get there!

Just joking of course - and it is a bit odd that the planners didn't
include A-10s in those actions. Anyone know why?

As far as F-15 colors - remember they originally came out in "Air
Superiority Blue" - absolutely the dumbest color ever painted on a
fighter plane! That didn't last long. Not sure if the change to gray
came before or after the F-16 came out - and there have apparently
been several iterations of F-15A/B/C/D gray paint jobs with various
countershadings.

Re 15000' over Kosovo: Where were the troops in contact? Why go lower
(and they did, when necessary) when all you are doing is plinking
tanks? Getting shot down doesn't help the troops in contact - it
isn't like a russian airshow! The idea that you should be eyeball to
eyeball with the enemy doesn't hold up if you have the right weapons,
or if the enemy has the wrong weapons (SA-16/18s).

Kirk