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Uh, an a10 can outrange an f35, it's just slower to get there. It also can carry a heck of a lot more munitions than an f35 at 50% less cost per hour, with a lo

by genmud 3y ago

Uh, an a10 can outrange an f35, it's just slower to get there. It also can carry a heck of a lot more munitions than an f35 at 50% less cost per hour, with a longer service life. I'm not saying that the 35 isn't an excellent platform, nor am I saying the A10 would be a great asset in a conflict with china, but saying the f35 is a drop in CAS replacement for the A10 is kind of missing the larger picture of what it's used for today. I am of the opinion that the f35 is a gerber multi tool and while it's super versatile, it doesn't do everything as well as purpose built platforms. The obsession with a one tool fits all is kind of silly. In every category, the f35 is objectively not the winner, there are faster fighters, fighters with greater a2a payloads, CAS with better loiter/payload capacity, bombers with better capacity. One of the primary goals of CAS should be the ability to stay on station for extended periods of time. Part of the likelihood aircraft are on station is directly related to the cost to maintain and maintenance requirements. F35s have huge costs and require a significant amount of maintenance.

nradov 3y ago
That is not accurate. The F-35A is not only able to reach the battlefield faster than the A-10C, it also has a greater unrefueled range. It doesn't matter what payload an aircraft carries if it can't get there in time. And the remaining A-10's are aging rapidly; maintenance costs are going to accelerate just to keep them flying at all. Sure, in a world of unlimited resources the Air Force would be better off with a new dedicated CAS platform. But the reality is that there will never be funding for that, so here we are.
- genmud 3y ago
  We might be talking about different ranges... I was talking about repositioning/ferry range, which the a10 has about 2500 miles vs the f35s 1500 miles. Combat ranges are like 250-300 for a10 and maybe 500-700 for the 35. The big reason the 35 outranges the 10 is they calculate intercept missions as the combat profile vs the a10 operating in much more dense air in a CAS role. I would be willing to put money the range increase is negligible once you put it in a similar CAS mission.

by genmud 3y ago

nradov 3y ago

That is not accurate. The F-35A is not only able to reach the battlefield faster than the A-10C, it also has a greater unrefueled range. It doesn't matter what payload an aircraft carries if it can't get there in time. And the remaining A-10's are aging rapidly; maintenance costs are going to accelerate just to keep them flying at all. Sure, in a world of unlimited resources the Air Force would be better off with a new dedicated CAS platform. But the reality is that there will never be funding for that, so here we are.

genmud 3y ago
We might be talking about different ranges... I was talking about repositioning/ferry range, which the a10 has about 2500 miles vs the f35s 1500 miles. Combat ranges are like 250-300 for a10 and maybe 500-700 for the 35. The big reason the 35 outranges the 10 is they calculate intercept missions as the combat profile vs the a10 operating in much more dense air in a CAS role. I would be willing to put money the range increase is negligible once you put it in a similar CAS mission.