[MasterGunner01]

The reason the USAF is going to keep the A-10 Warthogs flying is that the service does NOT have a survivable ground attack machine that can do the close air support (CAS) mission. For the price of one (1) F-35A Joint Strike Fighter (JSF), the USAF can completely upgrade its entire A-10 fleet to the A-10C, re-manufacture older birds, and run A-10 squadrons for at least three years. Besides, what USAF officer would dare to put his brand new wonder weapon anywhere near a CAS environment? The USAF doesn't know if the F-35 can even do CAS effectively, but the A-10 certainly can. The US Army isn't doing handsprings over retiring the A-10 in favor of the F-35 JSF either. The Army knows the USAF will not want to risk their hideously expensive F-35s doing the CAS role for troops on the ground.

[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.