[flipper35]

The Warthog is getting old and if we go to war with any peer state it will not be involved in the initial fighting since it has a much harder time surviving against current air defenses.

On the Bloomberg article there were a couple points I would like to counter. There is no chance the GAU-8 Avenger or similar cannon is going in anything unless it is a new airframe. Also, the F35 is designed for CAS and not just for dogfighting. From all accounts the F-35 is a capable dogfighter but it was designed to move mud around very well and the Air Force does not designate the same as the Navy did with the F/A-18 so it isn't the F/A 35. That said it is a fast mover and would not be good at the loiter and kill role the A-10 has. With the guided munitions we have the F-35 can do the role, but it will accomplish it in a very different way.

The sad fact is, the Air force does not like the plane and have been actively trying to kill it off for a long time. The A-10 is unique in its abilities and there isn't anything on the horizon that will be a direct replacement for it. Nothing else has the loiter ability with the heavy weapons load and a significant amount of armor and redundancy built in. But, it isn't fast, doesn't look sexy and is the outcast child in the Air Force. Not with the pilots, just the brass.

The Air force pilots are a resourceful bunch. One Strike Eagle crew "shot" down an Iraqi helicopter in flight with a Paveway LGB so there may be some adaptations from the crew now that the F-35 is in IOC.

I should add, had I perfect vision the Warthog would have been at the top of my list.