Why Nothing (Even The Air Force) Can Kill The A-10 Warthog

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First, I love the A-10. However, there is a lack of support for many of the claims made in this article, written by the author of "Grounded: The Case for Abolishing the United States Air Force ". He glosses over the accelerating rise in A-10 sustainment and maintenance costs, and then compares it's SAM vulnerability to F-15's, -16's, and B-52s. If you don't know about how these 3 differ in altitude (and associated sight distance), speed, and as long-range missile platforms, than the A-10, you just don't know the facts of aviation. He misses the big point...we no longer expect a war fought in a 1980's (or 1991) Air-Land Battle scenario. CAS does not need to be CLOSE anymore. Missile accuracy from 30,000 feet is just as accurate as from 500 feet. Joint All-Domain Operations requires ALL services to bring the future faster, not hang on to 50 year-old legacy platforms out of emotional attachment.