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Science & Technology
A-10 replacement? USAF strategy calls for 'future CAS platform'
2015-08-13
A new strategy document released by US Air Combat Command points to the development of a future close-air-support platform as the service pushes to retire the long-serving Fairchild Republic A-10 – its primary close-in attack airplane used to protect ground troops.

ACC Commander Gen Hawk Carlisle, who approved the strategic plan, said in March the air force is exploring what will follow the A-10, potentially as a more affordable compliment to the F-35 for a high-low force mix. "We're thinking about what an A-X would look like," he says.

Gen Mark Welsh, chief of staff of the air force, then said in April the air force would pursue a new CAS platform in the "relatively near- and mid-term" if funding would allow it [OS: emphasis added].
Bait and switch? Here's the bait, the promise to develop a new CAS airfram (switch is "too pricey, go with the F35" after the A10s hit the boneyard or get sold off)
Posted by:OldSpook

#8  I think in future the role of Stealh planes is merely to have lag free control over nearby drones.
Posted by: Bright Pebbles   2015-08-13 17:45  

#7  Darth, I like the way you think. I do believe that a single pilot controlling a lot of drones while scanning the battlefield, flying the plane etc. is pretty aggressive. Maybe it's time to bring back the RIO.
Posted by: Rambler in Virginia    2015-08-13 14:17  

#6  It should be mixed Rambler. Most of the future aircraft will be drones and while they may be autonomous and partly controlled by people back at base, there will always be a place for a pair of eyeballs in a cockpit than can direct them to places the sensors can't see.

Imagine a CAS pilot with not only his weapon load, but 30 drones flying with him. He can fly like the A-10, picking out targets that the cameras miss and then can target the area with a few drones that can make multiple passes and then do a suicide run into it if needed. The amount of damage that pilot could do to the enemy without needing to make many, if any, weapon runs himself.
Posted by: DarthVader   2015-08-13 14:05  

#5  My AF son say that in the future, CAS will be done by drones.

Yeah, right.
Posted by: Rambler in Virginia    2015-08-13 09:22  

#4  ...I'm sorry, but I know My Beloved Service too well by this point to trust them on anything they say regarding CAS. There is no - repeat, NO possible way they will have the money to support a dedicated CAS bird. Look instead for an A-35 with dedicated radios and a gun pack.


Mike
Posted by: Mike Kozlowski   2015-08-13 07:59  

#3  While the USAF per se still debates changing the "AF" acronyms, Vlad's Boyz = Russia have gone on + formed the RUSSIAN AEROSPACE FORCE.

I have to respect Vlad for that.
Posted by: JosephMendiola   2015-08-13 02:05  

#2  Anything that is Air to Mud should be in the Army's control.

Anything that is mixed or air-to-air should be in the Air Force.
Posted by: DarthVader   2015-08-13 00:21  

#1  Ground Support Aircraft. The AF doesn't want it. Let the Army have fixed wings again rather than their own 100 million dollar (plus) next gen helicopter that does nothing more basically than an A10.
Posted by: Procopius2k   2015-08-13 00:06  

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