A proper air to air fighter carries more than Sidewinders. It carries medium and long range missiles in addition to the short range Sidewinders - and that’s the point. A proper fighter can sit back outside of the range the A-10 can hit and simply sling medium and long range missiles at it.
I guess I misunderstood what you said.
Happens to all of us.
But as I’ve said before, respect all threats but fear none. . .and every fighter prepares for the knife-fight in a phone booth. . .sometimes the merge happens.
Oh. . .when did a radar-guided missile become a proper weapon, and before that, we had no “proper fighters?”
*chuckle
Final thought: an A-10 is a proper fighter because it is flown as a fighter, fly a fighter mission (CAS) and by fighter pilots that have natural aggression.
Cheers,