Is the A-10 Warthog Obsolete?

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The A-10 is an iconic aircraft, but was it obsolete the day it came off the factory floor in the 1970's?

The A-10 is a special-purpose designed close-air-support aircraft that was created to destroy Russian tanks in Europe during World War III.

But was this just wishful thinking? Wouldn't all of the airfields in Europe been destroyed with nuclear weapons in the first few minutes of the war?

The Russian invasion of Ukraine has seen the destruction of nine SU-25 close air support aircraft. The SU-25 is roughly analogous to the A-10.

This could mean that the A-10 isn't survivable in a world full of Man Portable Air Defense weapons (MANPADS)?

While the role of the A-10 may be useful for COIN (Counter Insurgency), that role could be taken over by cheaper propellor-driven aircraft, drones, or a combination of the two.

The A-10 sounds like freedom, but it may be time to retire this iconic airframe.

References:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairchild_Republic_A-10_Thunderbolt_II#Operators

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2010/jul/25/afghanistan-taliban-missile-strike-chinook

https://www.airforcemag.com/article/0898raptor/#:~:text=The%20F%2D22%20was%20designed,much%20destructive%20power%2C%20Hawley%20observed.

https://www.2951clss-gulfwar.com/aboutgulfwarthogs.htm

LA Times A-10 Air to Air
https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1991-02-08-mn-937-story.html

Cpt Bob Swain
https://www.westover.afrc.af.mil/News/Photos/igphoto/2000231776/

General Charles Q Brown: Change or lose.
https://www.af.mil/Portals/1/documents/csaf/CSAF_22/CSAF_22_Strategic_Approach_Accelerate_Change_or_Lose_31_Aug_2020.pdf

Air force financial management:
https://www.saffm.hq.af.mil/FM-Resources/Budget/Air-Force-Presidents-Budget-FY23/https://www.saffm.hq.af.mil/FM-Resources/Budget/Air-Force-Presidents-Budget-FY23/

GDP
https://www.worldometers.info/gdp/gdp-by-country/

40 mile Convoy (Cnn)
https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/11/europe/kyiv-russian-convoy-intl/index.html

40 mile Convoy (Reddit)
https://www.reddit.com/r/Military/comments/t4ztjp/a10_pilots_seeing_the_40_mile_long_convoy_headed/

Advanced technology warfare
https://www.amazon.com/Advanced-Technology-Warfare-Richard-Friedman/dp/0517558513/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1YYGRH4OFXLOC&keywords=advanced+technology+warfare&qid=1649002012&sprefix=advanced+technology+warfare%2Caps%2C46&sr=8-1

Hovercraft Air launch video.
http://www.naumenko.info/newsletter/autonomous-hovercraft-platf.html

Infantry Magazine Archive:
https://www.benning.army.mil/infantry/magazine/

Rights:

"Idaho Air National Guard A-10 Warthog landing at Gowen Field" by Alaskan Dude is marked with CC BY-NC 2.0.

"A-10 Warthog" by Chad Horwedel is marked with CC BY-NC-ND 2.0. To view the terms, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd-nc/2.0/jp/?ref=openverse

"A-10 Warthog" by Slawek Puklo is marked with CC BY 2.0.

A-10 Over Kandahar
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-n1AKK4ZTNo

"4620_0010" by Fishman 53 is marked with CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.

"Mirage 2000 D" by Ignacio Ferre is marked with CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.

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"Soviet Interceptor Mikoyan MiG-31. Советский перехватчик МиГ-31." by Peer.Gynt is marked with CC BY-SA 2.0.

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"Sukhoi Su-25 Frogfoot '66 blue'" by Support your local Air Museum! (HawkeyeUK) is marked with CC BY-SA 2.0.

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