The B-52 is special because it is part of the nuclear triad. Providing America with a credible nuclear deterrent is perhaps the most critical duty that the Air Force has. Don’t expect the B-52 to go away anytime soon.

“Low & Slow” doesn’t matter if you can hit the target accurately from 10,000 feet in the air. This isn’t 1945 anymore.

“Surviving abuse” is a red herring. It is better for the plane to not get hit in the first place.

<i>Bombers arnt the best stand alone CAS platforms</i>

There is only 1 definition of CAS and that definition is that you have an aircraft engaging ground targets which are in close proximity to friendly ground troops.

Why would the F-35 be using only internal weapons for a CAS mission? That doesn’t make any sense.

How is it that the Russians are able to operate their choppers in Syria then? People keep insisting that attack helicopters are too vulnerable but real-world service doesn’t seem to support that assertion.

And guess what, we do have multiple aircraft. The A-10 is only 1.

You realize that the F-16 performs a larger percentage of CAS missions, right? There is no problem with using the F-16 for CAS. And once the F-35 is ready, it will do the same thing.

If that’s the case then money now being used for the A-10 would be best used getting newer helicopters or refurbishing old ones.

The B-1 might cost more per trip, but each trip is going to last longer and involve dropping more bombs. The B-1B can loiter all day, just waiting for when you need it.

So drop a bomb on them. That oughta frighten them good. Or just kill them, which is even better.

You think the Army cares about that?

Cannon ammo really doesn’t matter. Just use a bomb.

The A-10 has a much longer list of friendly fire incidents than the B-1B, you know that right?

You could definitely build a better A-10 with modern avionics and materials. But why?

F-16C, F-15E, B-1B are all able to do that. Heck, even the A-10 can do that (just not quite as well). Believe it not, the vast majority of CAS missions don’t involve any cannon-fire from the aircraft, and that includes missions performed by the A-10. Instead, they use guided bombs to hit targets from a distance.

Of course, the odds of a major world war are slim. That’s the way that we want it. But it is still the Air Force’s job to be prepared for if that horrible day ever came.

“Low & Slow” is a red herring. All that matters is whether you can hit the target or not. If you need to get close to engage a target, then that’s what you gotta do. But if you can hit the target from a distance without giving the opposition a chance to shoot at the aircraft, then that’s even better.

Yes, you can. Haven’t you noticed how the Hornet took over for the A-6 after it was retired?