[PAR35]

No, the reason that the Air Force changed their position and decided to keep the A-10 is that they knew that killing it would put the Key West Accords at risk. The Army was going to push for its own close air support - either the A-10 or drones - if the AF couldn’t supply it. And the Air Force wasn’t ready for that can of worms to be opened.

[MasterGunner01]

I've maintained that divorcing the USAAF from the US Army was a mistake. The USAF does not want to do the ground support role — it just wants Mach 2+ fighters and hideously expensive bombers. It cannot get it correct when designing and fielding new aircraft. The KC-46 replacement for the KC-135 drags on and on. The Embraer 314 Super Toucano vs. AT-6G Texan II was a boondoggle for the Afghan AF. The USAF simply screws up whatever new aircraft it wants with the F-35 JSF being the 800 pound gorilla in the room.