The government needs to stop trying to reinvent the wheel and just build more A-10's. Infantry guys across the board swear by them - they are one of the most popular pieces of air support in existence for a reason.
The A-10's are a a heavy chain gun with a plane built around it. They are armored up and can take serious flak while still completing the mission. Its amazing what the A-10's can go through and come out safely on the other end.
They are a known cost (not a budgetary blackhole/f-35). We have plenty of pilots to fly them and techs to repair them. Fact is, the F35 was/is not designed for the close air support (CAS) mission.
The A-10's are a a heavy chain gun with a plane built around it. They are armored up and can take serious flak while still completing the mission. Its amazing what the A-10's can go through and come out safely on the other end.
They are a known cost (not a budgetary blackhole/f-35). We have plenty of pilots to fly them and techs to repair them. Fact is, the F35 was/is not designed for the close air support (CAS) mission.