Air Force chief wants a ‘flying Coke machine’ to replace A-10

Published June 15, 2016 7:14pm ET



Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Welsh wants a “flying Coke machine” to replace the Fairchild Republic A-10 “Warthog,” according to a report.

Welsh lobbied for a versatile troop support aircraft that delivers on-demand firepower at a Defense Writers Group breakfast in Washington, D.C., Wednesday. “Imagine … having a Coke machine overhead, and you put your quarter in and you get whatever kind of firepower you want, when you want it,” Welsh said. “In the perfect world, that’s close-air support of the future.”

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