Close Air Support: Could the F-35 Be Better Than the A-10?
F-35 has now for many years been regarded as an optimal platform for the high-threat CAS mission for a number of key reasons
KRIS OSBORN, WARRIOR MAVEN - CENTER FOR MILITARY MODERNIZATIONUPDATED:APR 11, 2024ORIGINAL:APR 10, 2024
By Kris Osborn, President, Center for Military Modernization
The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter is well known as a 5th-generation, stealthy, multirole fighter jet capable of detecting and destroying enemy targets from ranges where it cannot itself be seen, something made possible through advanced computing, software upgrades and a new generation of sensing technology bringing pilots high-resolution target imagery and threat detection capability. Therefore, using stealth and speed to elude and destroy enemy air defenses, destroy air and ground targets with precision from stand-off distances and perform drone-like ISR as an aerial “node” in a joint, multidomain warfare environment, are all things widely associated with the F-35.
As a stealth fighter jet with exquisite technologies and wide-ranging operational purview, it may seem that the F-35 is ill suited for the dangers and rigors of Close Air Support missions where lower-flying aircraft hover and maneuver in support of fast-advancing ground forces under enemy fire. However, the F-35 has now for many years been regarded as an optimal platform for the high-threat CAS mission for a number of key reasons.
Years ago, the Pentagon performed a specific CAS assessment looking at both the A-10 and the F-35 capabilities for the mission. Clearly its titanium hull, 30mm cannon and “low and slow” flying ability has made the A-10 Warthog “Flying Tank” cherished for worthwhile reasons, yet there also seems to be lesser recognized variables explaining why an F-35 may be particularly well-suited for CAS operations as well.
https://warriormaven.com/air/close-air-support-could-the-f-35-be-better-than-the-a-10
