F-35 Vs. A-10 Warthog: Which Plane Wins the Battle for Close Air Support King?

[rangerrebew]

June 29, 2020

F-35 Vs. A-10 Warthog: Which Plane Wins the Battle for Close Air Support King?

The US Army wants the F-35 to support its ground troops, but Congress loves the A-10.
by Kris Osborn

Here's What You Need To Remember: Regardless of the conclusions arrived upon by the ongoing assessment, it is likely both the A-10 and F-35 will perform CAS missions in the immediate years ahead.

The US Army wants the F-35 to support its ground troops.

It’s that simple. We hear volumes of information about the Marine Corps vertical-take-off-and-landing F-35B, Navy carrier-launched F-35C and Air Force F-35A - but what does the Army think of the emerging Joint Strike Fighter?

https://nationalinterest.org/blog/reboot/f-35-vs-10-warthog-which-plane-wins-battle-close-air-support-king-163736

[PeteS in CA]

The F-35 can get "there" faster. The A-10 can hang out longer and carry a larger load. The A-10 can take a lot of punishment. The F-35 is harder to see and target electronically, and faster passes give less time to act on visual sighting. The A-10's slower passes allow the pilot to see and recognize targets better. The A-10 carries a lot more of the heavier 30 mm cannon shells than does the F-35 and its 25 mm cannon.

Were I a boot on the ground I'd want both to be available and AH-64s as well. If the desk drivers really are thinking in an either-or paradigm I think they need to get out in the real battlefield.

[Smokin Joe]

I can see benefits to having both, with the F-35s flying cap, as well as integrating the A-10s to accept information from the F-35s targeting sensors. It could be a wonderful friendship...