> In that case, if the design itself is still viable, it seems like it would make more sense to just produce more A-10s. Tooling up won't be cheap, but it might be cheaper than throwing yet more money at a wastefully expensive replacement.
One hiccup to that idea is that apparently the original A-10 blueprints were "lost" over the course of several defense-contractor mergers. I don't think that should be a huge hurdle to overcome though, since they've been able to modernize the planes and design and build major replacement components for them (like new wings). However, the Air Force brass would probably make a big deal out of the missing plans in their smokescreen.
I think they should just transfer the close air support role (along with the planes, personnel, and all associated budget) to the Army.
One hiccup to that idea is that apparently the original A-10 blueprints were "lost" over the course of several defense-contractor mergers. I don't think that should be a huge hurdle to overcome though, since they've been able to modernize the planes and design and build major replacement components for them (like new wings). However, the Air Force brass would probably make a big deal out of the missing plans in their smokescreen.
I think they should just transfer the close air support role (along with the planes, personnel, and all associated budget) to the Army.