Originally Posted by
PickleRick
The idea of the big wigs is that the USAF doesn’t really do CAS in future conflicts. Whether or not that’s correct is up for debate, especially since recent conflicts have a funny way of including a lot of CAS.
However, plenty of aircraft do CAS other than the A-10. F-35, F-16, F-15E, MQ-9, even B-1s. Nothing as good as the A-10 in most cases. IF CAS is required, my guess is that the USAF relies on those assets and others.
But as stated above, CAS is a low priority mission set when it comes to planning for future conflicts.
The USAF’s primary concern in future, near-peer conflict (ie the worst case scenario short of a nuke exchange) is winning the Counterair fight. Counterland missions like CAS and Interdiction don’t happen unless you can gain and maintain some semblance of air superiority (at least locally and temporarily). I’m not saying that CAS isn’t an important mission or that the USAF shouldn’t invest in it, but it doesn’t mean much if you can’t dominate your primary reason for existing (fly, fight, and win the air domain anywhere on the planet).
The Hawg is an amazing jet and the absolute best at what it does. Its downfall is that it’s a one-trick pony. The same can be said about the Eagle and the Raptor honestly, both of which have had to adapt over time to fill more niche’s. Sad to see the A-10 go, but it’s time. I’d personally like to see the Army field a new, modern attack helicopter to replace the Apache before the Air Force thinks about investing in a new, dedicated CAS platform again. My two cents 🍻