With new wings, the A-10s will help fill a gap left by the delayed volume delivery of F-35A fighters, which were intended to take over the A-10's close air support (CAS) role in "contested environments"—places where enemy aircraft or modern air defenses would pose a threat to supporting aircraft. For now, the A-10 is being used largely in uncontested environments, where the greatest danger pilots face is small arms fire or possibly a Stinger-like man-portable air defense system (MANPADS) missile.
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They seem to be saying the A-10 flies too slow to be able to dogfight with modern front-line fighters.
So freaking WHAT? It was designed to provide close air support to troops on the ground,not battle with MIGS. The AF brass has a "zoomie mindset" and need to grow up and quit pretending they are all Tom Cruise in "Top Gun". They should also realize that the ground attack role will soon be the ONLY attack aircraft role the USAF will have that has human pilots aboard the fighters.
Soon they will all be piloted by computers and nerds behind joy sticks hundreds or even thousands of miles away in underground bunkers. Or just flying around in C-130's in circles because the fighter aircraft of the near future will perform at a level where pilots won't be able to handle the stress of maneuvers,even while wearing pressure suits. LOTS of the "air to air fighter contact" maneuvers will even be handled by on-board computers. Maybe even all of them.
But GROUND ATTACK aircraft HAVE to be able to fly low and slow in order to put their ordinance where it needs to be put. You can't have it both ways,not even if you are a USAF General. You either have to have both types of fighter aircraft,or you need to make a choice because ground attack fighters can NOT do the job of fighter aircraft any more than fighter aircraft can do the job of ground attack aircraft.
If they screw up and choose sexy over practical,they will find themselves out of jobs because the reason the USAF exists is to protect soldiers on the ground and to bomb enemy fortifications and industries with heavy bombers. Take away their ground support role and the rest can be done more effectively and cheaper using missiles.
