OV-10 Bronco

Which, or what, procurement programs do these fall under? I'd be interested in learning more about both the Navy's and the Air Force's programs and where they are in the process.

Pretty shaky on that knowledge, at least what is out in the public realm. The Navy's used to be called Imminent Fury, but now has a different name. The AF's program, I think, is still called OA-X.
 
Bottom line: don't get your hopes up. Even when/if they do field it, the line to get in the door will be long, filled with guys that have plenty of CAS/COIN/ISR combat experience over the last 10 years 'over there'.

This exactly. Friend of mine was part of Immeninet Fury and continues to be a part of it now so I get to hear about some of the stuff and where it's at.
 
Agree.

The AF never sent their OV-10As to Desert Storm in '90, even though the 27th TASS was still flying them at George AFB, CA; deeming them unsurvivable in the IADS the Iraqis had. Instead, OA-10s from the 23rd TASS out of DMAFB were sent instead.

The USMC sent VMO-1 and VMO-2 with its OV-10As and Ds to Desert Storm, and lost two to As to shoulder-launched SAMs. Interestingly, the USMC armed their OV-10s with an AIM-9L Sidewinder for air-air defense, in addition to rockets, guns and flares for the FAC mission.

When I first went into the A-10, one of my IPs was a former OV-10 guy who had a dream assignment: flying them with the 22nd TASS out of Wheeler AFB, Hawaii. Was a hidden gem of a flying club there according to him. :)

The OV-1 Mohawk, we used to have them in US Customs Air Operations, with many based down at Libby AAF/Fort Huachuca in AZ, as interceptor and enforcement aircraft. Neat birds. In fact, in my branch office, we still have a picture of one of our planes destroyed in a landing accident at a dirt strip in the middle of nowhere AZ. They'd been trailing a drug hauling twin, and it landed at the strip. The surveillance aircraft overhead didn't accurately relay the position on the runway that the drug plane had stopped when it was offloading, and the landing OV-1 Mohawk that was setting down to make the drug bust couldn't stop in time before ramming through the drug plane. Pictures of the event still in the office.

Mike, have you ever seen the static Mohawk and RC-12 displays sitting out by the AIT Barracks at Ft. Huachuca? If so, funny story, but it requires some explanation...

I was a 33W in the Army, Electronic / Intel systems maintainer...56 week AIT..so we got comfy. As we phased, we got more freedoms, (civvies after class, different barracks, own car,etc) However we'd still get tapped to pull duty for CQ. On the weekends, there was only 1 D.S. on duty, so as CQ we pretty much in-processed any new guys fresh from basic on the weekends. The running joke in my company was to send these guys with road guard vests and a rubber duckie to go guard the airplanes....

Went well for 4 months until our CO. 1st Sgt was driving by and saw them...He smoked the crap out of the whole company pretty much that instant, though I was in the office when he first found out about and he laughed his ass off. During the smoke session he kept grumbling something about the "damn privates screwing with my new privates..."

Anywho, probably only funny to me, but that's my connection to that aircraft....lol

We used to send new guys fresh from Basic down their on the weekends
 
Agree.

The AF never sent their OV-10As to Desert Storm in '90, even though the 27th TASS was still flying them at George AFB, CA; deeming them unsurvivable in the IADS the Iraqis had. Instead, OA-10s from the 23rd TASS out of DMAFB were sent instead.

I was with the 23rd TASS (OA-37 at the time) and was part of the initial planning staff for the new OV-10 squadron at George. Quite an undertaking setting up a new squadron. Interesting that the 23rd TASS in a span of nine years went from O-2s to OA-37s to OV-10s to OA-10s, any or all of which would have been a kick to fly...well perhaps not the O-2.
 
I was with the 23rd TASS (OA-37 at the time) and was part of the initial planning staff for the new OV-10 squadron at George. Quite an undertaking setting up a new squadron. Interesting that the 23rd TASS in a span of nine years went from O-2s to OA-37s to OV-10s to OA-10s, any or all of which would have been a kick to fly...well perhaps not the O-2.

One of BP crews thinks they may have found the wreck site of one of the OA-37s than went down near Oracle back in the '80s
 
One of BP crews thinks they may have found the wreck site of one of the OA-37s than went down near Oracle back in the '80s


That would be Joe Plummer's airplane. He was an IP with a student on a low level training flight that hit a power line crossing a canyon. Both ejected successfully. Joe left the AF (I believe he lost his wings) and later was a controller with MSP Center. He was a terrific aviation artist and some of his work may be still scattered around DMAFB and the Avra Valley AP restaurant. I was his flight commander.

In '81, prior to OA-37 accident, we had a Lt on his first unsupervised O-2A solo hit a power line (32') near Tombstone and decapitated himself. What was unique about this accident was that he was the first AF pilot to be found with cocaine in his body. There were commander changes, drug testing every other week plus low level flying restrictions. "Fun" times at the 23rd TASS.
 
Bronco's not coming back. Folks down in south America use them for drug eradication. The only light ground attack aircraft that have been bought were Embraer SuperTacano's by an American contractor for Iraqi AF. Super Tacano is strong and the beech product looks cool but let's face it Colombian's are really killing things with their tacano's.

Armed UAV's are the future. Like it or not.

OV-10 coolest twin tail-boom airframe ever.
 
Bronco's not coming back. Folks down in south America use them for drug eradication. The only light ground attack aircraft that have been bought were Embraer SuperTacano's by an American contractor for Iraqi AF. Super Tacano is strong and the beech product looks cool but let's face it Colombian's are really killing things with their tacano's.

Armed UAV's are the future. Like it or not.

OV-10 coolest twin tail-boom airframe ever.

Hmmm, probably not but will it be tested? Just might....
 
If you still have dreams of tlying the OV-10 you could always rush the California Fire Dept...

OV10_5562.jpg
 
If the OV-10 came back, then it would be the top choice of 9 out of 10 marines coming out of primary. We used to sit around the ready room daydreaming about the OV-10 or the AT-6. We even were thinking of writing a letter to get the A-1 out of mothballs. Instead I decided to go with 160,000 lbs of metal that just circles above you and pounds you with miniguns and hellfires for 10 hours at a time. Plus it has a coffeemaker.
 
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