With all due respect to the awesome firepower and capabilities of the A-10, it was never really designed as a CAS but a tank and armor buster.
The Army should be authorized to obtain a true CAS aircraft to support soldiers needing soft target engagements. A few have been bantered about recently and remind me of the A1 Skyraider, one of the best true CAS aircraft ever built.
Yes, it was designed as a tank buster, but also took to the CAS role rather well.
As for replacements, I have seen some aircraft that, as you said, are reminiscent of the A-1. One was a modified Agcat and the other was from Beechcraft and based on the T-6 Texan II.
Surely you jest. With the rules of engagement preventing close air support or arty, there’s no longer any call for them. S>>>>>(which means sarcasm.)
It’s too bad we don’t have any A-1 Skyraiders left but they were so good at CAS we wore them all out.
I saw a Skyraider at the Chino Airshow about 10 years ago I guess. They had tons of aircraft there... modern military, classic war birds, the small variant of the original Northrop flying wing... B-24s... a Constellation.... all truly amazing aircraft... The even did a formation flight with the original Thunderbolt with the “Thunderbolt II” (A-10)... but to me, that Skyraider was the sexiest thing on the field that day. What an aircraft.