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US Uses Vintage Planes From Vietnam War Era Against Daesh

© Flickr / tommpouceOV-10 Bronco
OV-10 Bronco - Sputnik International
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The United States military authorities claim that old OV-10 Bronco battle-planes may prove to be more effective and cheap than modern F-15 and F-35 aircrafts.

America began to use two OV-10 Bronco combat planes from the Vietnam War era in the fight against the Daesh terrorist group, CNN reported. Both types of aircraft are almost 50-years-old.

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As part of the anti-Daesh operation the planes, each flown by a pair of naval aviators, have already conducted 120 operational flights, according to US Central Command spokesman, Capt. Bryant Davis.

The experiment is aimed at determining whether slower turbo-propeller planes are more effective in conducting operations against paramilitary forces than expensive advanced F-15 and F-35, which conduct most of the US' airstrikes in the Middle East.

Retired naval aviator Cmdr. Chris Harmer said that older aircrafts can more cost-effectively fly close air support missions to help US ground troops, and pilots better see and attack low-tech insurgents.

"Using an F-35 to fly close air support against insurgents would be akin to ‘buying a brand new Rolls Royce to take the garbage to the dump,'" he said.

A one hour flight by the modern combat plane jets cost about $40,000, while the Bronco cost less than $5,000 per flight.

Harmer admitted that the antique planes were vulnerable to modern enemy aircraft and anti-aircraft missiles, but reassured that OV-10 Bronco would be "extremely effective" in environments like Iraq and Afghanistan, where the terrorists have very limited anti-aircraft weapons.

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