Almost any old BS to make it go away!
We are working on a bigger, better new one; the check is in the mail...
It has reached the point where Air Force Brass can no longer be trusted to design Close Air Support. The Army needs to design, have built and totally control it’s own.
My thoughts exactly. This is a smokescreen to get rid of the A-10.
A super warthog. They’ll screw it up. Watch em keep the name, then it’ll be covered with hard points for attaching defense contractor pork.
It's one hell of a close air support platform. I'd hate to see them taken out of service just to satisfy the bureaucrats and the government contractors who want to make billions building the next gen CAP system.
Any one want to be the requirements include supersonic cruise?
They could save millions by leaving the A-10 as it is and it will still dominate the battlefield.
You can build a fleet of A-10’s for the cost of one F-35.
Hmm...I’m no stranger to the vicissitudes of military procurement so I’ll take a stab at it. What we need is a plane that is supersonic, service ceiling of 100,000 feet, armed with hypersonic air-to-air missiles with a range of 500 miles, the mere piloting of which will guarantee a spotless OER and an immediate promotion to O6. Probably have to leave the gun and the bomb hard points off, though.
Don't forget the Gatling gun.
I’m sure someone who deals with the A-10 has a list of possible improvements. It is likely that the 80/20 rule applies to that list. You can get 80% of the improvement for 20% of the dollars.
I vote we do a cost analysis and improve the plane we have within financial reason.
Air Force generals will always opt for bombers and dogfight fighters over close air support because they love the publicity that those planes (and coincidently their pilots) get.
But the A-10 guys love their work of supporting the troops on the ground when they are needed and the troops love them back.
I don’t know if more improvements can be made on the current Warthog, but improvements would probably be more cost efficient than a whole new plane. Not to mention that a new plane would give the AF generals more money to fool around with in their budget.
If it ain’t broke, don’t scrap it. Use it.
I first saw the A-10 as a young LCpl during a Gallant Eagle Exercise in Twentynine Palms in the 80’s. Even though I was a Motor T POG I understood what this aircraft brought to the battle field. There is no other platform that can perform CAS as effectively as the A-10. The AV8B Harrier is pretty damn good but it doesn’t come close to the Warthog.