I agree with you but could the same capability be provided with a drone swarm of 100 suicide drones for far less money.
Well they have to be in theatre, like RIGHT THERE to provide CAS.
But yeah, a flock of loitering CAS drones with good cameras, sensors and operators might work. Even for anti-jihadi work.
“I agree with you but could the same capability be provided with a drone swarm of 100 suicide drones for far less money.”
that’s a good point, and probably likely true, but it’s doubtful our armed services have that capability YET ... but they soon should given their relationship with Anduril, and Palmer Luckey, who’s the Elon Musk of drones ... history has proven that young white or asian males are the prime [but not exclusive] movers of technology and real science ...
That’s my (uneducated) take though. I get the A-10 is loved by ground troops, incredibly effective. But the landscape has changed. Drones are proven and we’ve no idea about what other capabilities are now on the table.
We are rapidly approaching the time where the concept of fighter and bomber are obsolete concepts with all functions really just being different sized cargo transports.
For the same reason there is no justification for our navy in its present form.
The badass quotient would drop to zero, though