Again, Pierre can go pound Persian Gulf sand. During the Gulf War, A-10s spent most of their days in Western Iraq looking for Scud missile launchers and most of their nights at home in bed, while the F-111F with it's Pave Tack FLIR targeting camera and Laser designator took out enemy tanks with 500 lb Laser guided Paveway bombs all night long. The process was known as "tank plinking."
The F-111F's Pave Tack performance was so impressive that the USAF wanted it on all of their ground attack aircraft. The FLIR/IR Laser combo is now part of the LANTIRN targeting pod that can be carried on the F-15E, F-16C, and B-1B to do the same job. The F-35 has the guts of a LANTIRN pod built into it's chin.
Don't get me wrong, I love the A-10 and believe we need to keep them, but when the Pave Tack system that took up the entire F-111 bomb bay (and the terrain following radar that took up half of the F-111's radome) were shrunk down to a pod that could be mounted on an F-15 and F-16, we gained the ability to take out tanks from high altitude, out of effective range of AAA and MANPADs, where the A-10 has to get down in the dirt.
A-10’s had no night capability therefore they flew during the day. They provided tremendous support and according to the GWAPS, accounted for huge Iraqi losses.
They supported the front lines all the time, except for one ill-fated day when they were sent deep and three were lost doing an AI mission.