The American A-10 attack aircraft is a type of attack aircraft designed specifically for ground strike and support, which has been in service since 1975 and has participated in many wars, such as the Gulf War and the Iraq War, with outstanding performance. It has great firepower and durability, making it a powerful assistant to the U.S. military, but it also has high maintenance costs and outdated technology, so the U.S. military is always looking for a cheaper, more advanced alternative. One of these attempts was the ARES experimental attack aircraft, designed by the American company Scaled Composites.
ARES is a light single-seat attack aircraft, the development of which began in 1981, but its first flight was not completed until 1990. It has an empty weight of only 1,308 kg and a maximum take-off weight of about 3,000 kg, thanks to its extensive use of composite materials such as carbon fiber instead of traditional aerospace metals. Its main wing is a straight, low monowing with a wingspan of 95 meters, with a pair of short tail braces and vertical tail at the back, and a pair of forward-swept canards on either side of the cockpit, all of which make it very maneuverable and stable.
The ARES is powered by a JT15D-5 turbojet engine with a thrust of 1340 kg, but its air intake is not in the nose, but at the wing root on the left side of the fuselage, which is to reduce the radar reflection area and improve stealth performance. Its maximum speed is about 750 kilometers per hour, its maximum ceiling is 12,000 meters, and its maximum range is 2,600 kilometers, which is better than the A-10 attack aircraft.
The ** system of the ARES is not weak either, it has a Gau-12 25 mm 5-barreled Gatling cannon on the right side of the fuselage, it has a rate of fire of up to 4200 rounds per minute, and a reserve of 220 rounds, which can cause serious damage to ground targets. It also has two hardpoints and can carry 2 Sidewinder air-to-air missiles, or 4 Stinger air-to-air missiles, or other types of rockets or missiles, for a total combat load of 900 pounds (408 kg).
The advantage of the ARES is that it costs only $1 million for a single attack, compared to $18 million for the A-10 attack aircraft. It also has a low flight cost, costing only $3,000 per hour, compared to $11,000 for the A-10 attack aircraft. Its performance is not bad, it can perform the tasks of ground attack and air defense, and it can also take off and land at field airfields, and it has strong adaptability. Its test results are also satisfactory, showing high reliability and validity.
However, ARES was not favored by the US military, because the US military felt that the A-10 attack aircraft and the AH-64 armament *** were enough to meet the needs of the battlefield, and there was no need to replace them with new attack aircraft. Therefore, ARES was shelved like this, did not enter mass production, and did not participate in any actual combat, which became a regrettable existence.