We asked the Air Force historian and Air Combat Command if the A-10 fleet achieved a “first-time-ever” milestone late last month when one Warthog, supporting Operation Odyssey Dawn, attacked two small Libyan ships that were indiscriminately firing upon merchant vessels in the Libyan port of Misurata. “While we know of no other recorded instance in which the A-10 was used to attack a maritime target, this is not something that could be officially verified,” Air Force spokesman Todd Spitler told the Daily Report in responding on behalf of the historian’s office. This also was the consensus among ACC officials whom command spokeswoman Capt. Shannon Collins queried on our behalf. “[T]o their recollection, the A-10s have never [before] attacked surface ships or other maritime targets,” she said.
“Military history shows that the best defense is almost always a maneuvering offense supported by solid logistics. This was true for mechanized land warfare, air combat, and naval operations since World War II. It will also be true as the world veers closer to military conflict in space,” writes Aidan…