The discussions I read are all about fighter jets. I’m wondering if the venerable A10 Warthog might be of more use against Ukraine’s opposing forces.
Russian military doctrine has always been for overwhelming use of tanks and artillery which the A10 is uniquely designed to attack.
The A10 is not well set up to deal with intense air defense environments. It had a role in the Cold War days when the threat was enemy tank columns running ahead of their own SAM umbrella, and the manpads of the day were pretty poor.
But unless the enemy has gone through a thorough SEAD treatment, thats not a possibility today. And since A10’s are all about low altitude weapons, modern manpads may be too much for them, and SEAD isnt going to suppress those.
These days I think the A10 should be looked at as a “colonial war” or COIN (counterinsurgency) aircraft. Not suitable for high intensity warfare.
As an ex., the Soviet equivalent to the A10, the SU-25, has a hard time surviving while attempting CAS vs the Ukrainians. The Russians have stopped trying unless its a desperate case apparently. Its the manpads.
wondering if the venerable A10 Warthog
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They already have the Russian counterpart to the A-10 - the SU-25.