Getting off tangent here with the Yemen debacle, however, coming back to point on the ground attack role of jets using cannons. Just finished reading an article about the USAF gunnery and BFM competition in March of this year in Arizona called Haboob Havoc. Participating units were all 4 Luke AFB F-35 squadrons, (61st, 62nd, 63rd, 308th) and 3 F-16 squadrons (309th, 310th, 425th). Other squadrons from Davis-Monthan included A-10s from 345th squadron, 2 F-16 ANG squadrons (Alabamas 100th and SC's 194th) and two ANG F-15C squadrons (LAs 122nd and CAs 194th squadrons).
The competition seems to have yielded very interesting results as well. The A-A phase was restricted to two-shot radar guided missiles (no high off-bore AIM-9X) and gun kills with aircraft starting 10-15 miles apart. The second part of the competition was strafing ground targets.
The reason for me posting this is to show that the top air force by far in the world is still actively training its pilots not just in BFM and DACT but also doing it for gun kills. F-35 is by some reports to serve in the USAF until 2090s!! So it is safe to assume that the gun on aircraft is not going away in this century. Regardless of how advanced electronics, radars and missiles get, counter measures against these will develop alongside them trying to nullify their capabilities. Anyways, seems like there are enough people in USAF that see the benefit of this weapon system. Take from it what you may.
The results from the exercise:
Fastest gun kill: F-35A against F-16C (34secs!!)
Fastest radar missile kill: F-16C vs F-35A
Best Low level strafe: A-10C (98% of the bullets hitting the target!!)
Best High level strafe: Also an A-10C. (An F-15C made is in the top 3 as well)
Best air-air kill ratio: F-15C (I can only imagine if PAF had the Eagles tag teaming with the Vipers, how IAF would have even survived this long)
The article is in the Aug issue of Combat Aircraft.
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