That is the crux of the problem. Given the budget constraints, the USAF would rather fund “multirole” aircraft.
The F-35 (the expense of which helped aggravate the budget issue) is probably going to make a decent strike aircraft, a marginal fighter and a poor CAS provider. Commanders won’t want to risk such an expensive aircraft unless there is a high payoff. So as a practical matter, it won’t provide much CAS.
CAS is specialized work. The A-10 was built to be low, slow and tough to deliver effective CAS in support of NATO against the ultimate non-permissive airspace if the Warsaw Pact and NATO had slugged it out. Those virtues directly translated to CAS against all sorts of targets the designers couldn’t even imagine.
We need to pry loose enough money to create an A-10 replacement that is affordable, low, slow, tough, easy to maintain, and capable of fighting threats we don’t know exist.
We used to consider that type of problem a difficult challenge to be overcome. Now, too often too many people see difficult as a reason to not even try.
The F-35 (the expense of which helped aggravate the budget issue) is probably going to make a decent strike aircraft, a marginal fighter and a poor CAS provider. Commanders won’t want to risk such an expensive aircraft unless there is a high payoff. So as a practical matter, it won’t provide much CAS.
CAS is specialized work. The A-10 was built to be low, slow and tough to deliver effective CAS in support of NATO against the ultimate non-permissive airspace if the Warsaw Pact and NATO had slugged it out. Those virtues directly translated to CAS against all sorts of targets the designers couldn’t even imagine.
We need to pry loose enough money to create an A-10 replacement that is affordable, low, slow, tough, easy to maintain, and capable of fighting threats we don’t know exist.
We used to consider that type of problem a difficult challenge to be overcome. Now, too often too many people see difficult as a reason to not even try.
Absolutely.
CAS is one of the most critical roles the AF has to fill in the type of warfare we're facing today. The A-10 and its successor will be very important to the overall mission. The A-10 can get to its target a lot faster than an attack helicopter and can do a lot more damage once it arrives.
I don't see the replacement issue being such a daunting task, either. The problem is a small pot of money and a lot of requirements.
The AF needs CAS aircraft.
It needs modern refuelers or the assets can't get to the battlefield. Every year that I can remember the refuelers have been a big item on the budget requirements list.
We need to have Airlift aircraft to get people and materiel to the battle zone.
We need to have a replacement for 40 year old F-16s and F-15s.
We need Electronic Warfare assets to reduce the effectiveness of SAMS.
The BUFF was first flown in 1952 - over 60 years ago. They keep upgrading them, but they're still 60 year old, post Korean War era airplanes.
You need maintainers and pilots to fly them.
The list is huge and it can be tough to find a balance.