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New I thought that airframe lifespan was a driving factor
Correct me if I'm wrong, but jet airframes don't last forever - they basically wear out/get metal fatigue/whatever, just as a result of the stresses of being an aeroplane.
New They're like George Washington's hatchet.
"The handle's been replaced 3 times, and the head twice, but it's still George's hatchet!"

It's not uncommon for them to replace wings, etc., over the life of an important airframe. The B-52 airframe apparently is extremely robust - http://taskandpurpose.com/b-52-stratofortress-modernization-plan/

Developing a new aircraft is much, much more expensive than refurbishing an older one.

The trouble with the A-10 is that it's vulnerable to small rockets and similar things, it's not stealthy, and it's a single-purpose airframe when the military needs flexible systems.

Cheers,
Scott.
New Why do they need flexible systems?
If the existing systems cost a tenth what the new ones do, just buy 3 times as many of them and add the infrastructure to rapidly deploy exactly what you need. [Add much handwaving here.]
--

Drew
New A huge part of the cost is the people.
If a FA-XX can do the job of an A-10 and also do (well enough) jobs X,Y,Z that an A-10 can't, then it makes sense to use an FA-XX.

Pilots have to fly these things all the time to keep up their skills. That's why we don't have 5000 F-16s/A-10s/B-1b/etc., etc. flying around and instead have a few hundred F-22/F-35s that are multi-role. It's too expensive to have lots and lots of pilots flying these things even if the hardware is substantially cheaper.

And that's why it's (almost) inevitable that piloted fighters are going extinct. The aircraft can handle G-forces that will kill a pilot, the craft can be sleeker without a bubble for a pilot to see out of, can carry more fuel, etc., and it's too expensive to have people flying them all the time.

I suspect, but don't know, that it's more like that some sort of Reaper is more likely to replace the A-10 than some new super, dedicated, piloted CAS plane.

Cheers,
Scott.
Expand Edited by Another Scott July 19, 2017, 12:56:44 PM EDT
New Nothing's been the same since the close of TOPGUN at Miramar. :0(
bcnu,
Mikem

It's mourning in America again.
New The pilot looking out the bubble is one of the key features of the A-10
Optics and targeting systems are getting better all the time, but somebody coming in at tree-top level, looking down at a guy on the ground literally pointing to where the enemy is hidden, is still out of reach of UAVs.
--

Drew
New Maybe, but as you say the optics on planes maybe "good enough" in many / most cases.
... and getting better all the time. Humans can't see in the IR. ;-)

The Reaper's first flight was in 2001; in service in 2007.

Technology marches on...

Cheers,
Scott.
     AW: Air Force weighs scrapping A-10 replacement. - (Another Scott) - (11)
         The drones will never have the same concentration of armamemnts. -NT - (a6l6e6x) - (1)
             Never's a really long time. ;-) - (Another Scott)
         Does that mean the A-10 stays in service? Or that they'll just abandon that capability? -NT - (drook) - (8)
             Re: Does that mean the A-10 stays in service? Or that they'll just abandon that capability? - (Another Scott)
             I thought that airframe lifespan was a driving factor - (pwhysall) - (6)
                 They're like George Washington's hatchet. - (Another Scott) - (5)
                     Why do they need flexible systems? - (drook) - (4)
                         A huge part of the cost is the people. - (Another Scott) - (3)
                             Nothing's been the same since the close of TOPGUN at Miramar. :0( -NT - (mmoffitt)
                             The pilot looking out the bubble is one of the key features of the A-10 - (drook) - (1)
                                 Maybe, but as you say the optics on planes maybe "good enough" in many / most cases. - (Another Scott)

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