This one’s always baffled me. Fine, let the AF retire it, but give it to the Army. As a tank-busting, close ground support aircraft it makes more sense for them to have it anyway.
Amen. Let a service that wants to fly them have them!
It’s probably the dream of some Air Force general, looking for a lifetime contract by suddenly needing a multi-billion dollar replacement.
If it does the job, keep it. If there is a need to replace it, put the plans in place to transition to a new plane.
AF brass has been pissing and moaning about the A10 since it was in the design phase. Something about it just bugs them. All the way until we use it in a war, then they taught how totally awesome it is.
That is the only sensible solution.
There was a thought that the Army should take that over and the Air Force take on all Air Defense...don’t wait for that to happen either. Senator Sam Nunn was basically the reason the A-10 was built at all; the Air Force didn’t want it then.