A-10 Will Remain in Fleet Through 2040s Despite Planned Cuts
April 17, 2020 | By John A. Tirpak
The Air Force’s future close air support portfolio will include seven squadrons of A-10s into the 2040s, along with light attack aircraft in partnership with some countries, but these efforts will be distinct from Special Operations Command’s pursuit of an Armed Overwatch aircraft, USAF’s top planner said April 16.
The A-10 remains “a very cost-effective way to get at close air support,†and USAF figures into the service’s “long-term†plans, said Lt. Gen. David Nahom, deputy chief of staff for plans and programs, during an AFA Mitchell Institute telecon.
“There is no more efficient platform in the low-end fight†than the A-10, “and that includes propeller-driven light-attack type platforms,†Nahom said. However, the A-10 is not equipped to survive in highly defended airspace, where the F-35 and other aircraft will handle the CAS mission, he noted.
https://www.airforcemag.com/a-10-will-remain-in-fleet-through-2040s-despite-planned-cuts/
