[onewhippedpuppy]

Originally Posted by cashflyer

The GAU is a big gun, and it is not cheap to shoot, but it is cheaper by far than guided missiles. For that reason alone, some version of GAU totin' airplane will exist - be it the A-10 or an A-10 rehash.

There are a LOT of A-29s being completed and shipped overseas. Member states see the value of a single turbo prop aircraft in both acquisition cost and operational cost. These make very good CAS aircraft, like the good ol' Sandy, but it is not the bullet-flinging gun platform that the A-10 is.

Drones will continue to be an increasing presence on the battlefield, but they are limited in their useful loading. I don't see them going out to defend against columns of armor.

The Beechcraft (Pilatus) AT-6? ROFL. It can't take the abuse of a CAS role. It just barely manages to be a trainer.

The Textron Scorpion.... One prototype built three years ago, and zero traction since then.

Go talk with guys who maintain and fly the A29, they hate it. It's unreliable, hard to work on, and parts support from Brazil sucks. The AT-6 was much more capable but lost the bid for the Iraq CAS program due to politics. With over 1000 delivered to the USAF and USN I'd be curious how the T-6 "barely manages to be a trainer". I've talked with F-22 pilots who claim the T-6 is the sweetest flying airplane they've ever piloted. The Scorpion is also very much still in play, and actually in many ways is being considered as a replacement for the A-10 in the CAS role.