It's a ground support aircraft only. It's not their job to control the skies. If the enemy is controlling the skies, then they have a much bigger problem to worry about.
Currently in Ukraine, neither side has air superiority. Anything in the air is susceptible to surface to air artillery and missiles. But if you need ground support for an offensive operation, the A-10 is your best option. It's survivability is greater than a helicopter. And its effectiveness is greater than a F-15.
The Air Force doesn't like them because they're slow compared to supersonic fighters, they fly too close to the ground action, and they don't like doing ground support in general.
@Hoodat Yup,but it should be noted there is a HUGE exception to this rule. Fighter pilots LOVE Wart Hogs,and only the best pilots that volunteer for them get to fly them.
And I have been told by people in the USAF when I was still in the army that the line of potential Wart Hog pilots is a LOT longer than the number of WH's available.
The young pilots just LOVE that Bush! So do some of the older pilots who still think they are young. I have seen them do a barrel roll over me after making a gun run,and they were so close to the ground I could see the pilot smiling as he flew over me with an open canopy,and his silk scarf flying in the wind.
Seems like they were all wearing leather helmets,goggles,and fling silk scarves of different colors to identify what flight they came from. They were like big kids playing "WW-2 Movie".
It also needs to be said that if a Wart Hog pilot was shot down,there was NEVER a shortage of volunteers wanting to go in and pull them out.
It also needs to be noted that they all had an open invitation to come drink in our NCO club anytime they wanted,and the drinks would be free.
BTW,the Wart Hogs I am writing about were the ones still using those old radial gasoline engines from WW-2 and made all the good sounds as they passed over.
The new WH's are jet propelled,but can still fly slow enough to be effective,and they carry even MORE ordinance than the VN-Era ones.
In case you haven't guessed,I am a HUGE fan of both Wart Hogs AND their pilots. Those boys have some SERIOUS stones!