This platform is a design-to-function success. Therefore, it must be discontinued.
The Air Force has been trying to kill the A-10 since the 80’s... Remember the failed A-16 where they took a stock F-16A, painted it in Euro 1 “lizard” camo, put an IRST from an F-106 on the nose “Falcon Eye”, and a 30mm gunpod on the centerline and called it done.
http://www.f-16.net/f-16_versions_article18.html