Will the F-35A Do Close Air Support Better than the ‘Tank Killer’ A-10?

The US Air Force (USAF) will no longer develop the legendary close air support aircraft, the ‘Tank Killer’ A-10 Thunderbolt II (Warthog), and will gradually remove it from service. The close air support (CAS-Close Air Support) missions performed by the A-10 will be transferred to the F-35A.

The USAF has been testing the F-35A on the A-10's missions for a long time. Although it is understood from some test reports in the press that the results are not very satisfactory, the USAF insists on this issue. This is because further extension of the A-10's life cycle is no longer feasible in terms of aircraft structural integrity. Just like what was done with the F-15EX; either new A-10s would be built or their missions would be transferred to the F-35A, the USAF chose the second option.

Will the F-35A be able to utilise some of its unique capabilities in CAS missions?

For many years, the F-35A has been considered the most suitable platform to take over the role of the A-10 for high threat CAS missions, and has been prepared for this role.

As a 5th generation, stealthy, multi-role fighter aircraft capable of detecting and destroying enemy targets at ranges where it cannot be seen, the F-35A was supposed to, or had to, bring another dimension to close air support with its advanced information processing capability. Because, unless it could channel its own advanced capabilities as added value to this mission, it was not possible for the A-10 to show the equivalent of its current capacity. The A-10 was created precisely for the CAS mission, whereas the main mission of the F-35 was deep strike.

In CAS missions, the F-35A will use detection technology, which provides pilots with high-resolution target images and high levels of threat detection capability, to avoid or destroy enemy air defence systems, thus destroying the enemy's effective armoured main combat vehicles, especially tanks, which are its main target, by attacking at high altitude, at high speed, and destroying them with its high hit percentage ammunition. 

More precisely, it has to. Because this is the primary mission of the A-10, and it is considered to be the best fighter aircraft in the history of aviation in this mission.

As a stealth fighter aircraft with high technologies and a comprehensive operational perspective, it is also considered that the F-35 is not suitable for the dangers and difficulties of close air support missions carried out by aircraft flying at lower speeds and at lower altitudes, or that it is a ‘very expensive, luxury platform’. In fact, there is a high level of concern that F-35 losses in CAS missions will not be digested by the American public, and this concern is justified. However, it is another fact that the A-10 is constantly wearing out and aging.

The USAF conducted a special CAS evaluation process that examined the capabilities of both the A-10 and the F-35 for CAS missions. The protective titanium armour plating that clearly covers the cockpit, the 30 mm Gatling gun and the ability to fly ‘low and slow’ made the A-10 Warthog ‘Flying Tank’ a very valuable and much needed, much loved close air support aircraft, and the A-10 became a legend in this mission.

However, it is also emphasised that the F-35 adds a different operational dimension to this mission, and that there are some lesser known features of the F-35 that will allow it to be considered superior to the A-10 for CAS operations in some aspects, and that these features should be tested very well in the operational environment and operational experience should be increased. 

According to the results of the CAS evaluations and exercises of the A-10 and the F-35, the USAF has no doubt that the A-10 in the classical sense and the F-35 in the modern sense bring unique qualities to the CAS mission, but due to its conjunctive problems; the hesitation of not being able to fully trust the F-35 is also extremely high. Especially when it comes to their ambitions in the Asia-Pacific region, or the Chinese threat they have created and raised, the issue gains even more importance and depth for the USAF, and the preference for the F-35A over the A-10 continues to be a topic of discussion at both political and military levels.

Is the F-35A suitable for CAS?

In CAS missions, the F-35A can use its speed and manoeuvrability to dodge small arms fire from the ground, but the range and precision of its sensors and weapons can enable this jet to perform CAS operations much more successfully at altitudes that are more difficult for aircraft such as the A-10. 

The F-35A is also armed with a 25 mm cannon and is manoeuvrable enough to quickly adjust its course in response to rapidly evolving threat dynamics in the field. According to experienced pilots, the most prominent feature that makes the F-35 a better choice than the A-10 for close air support is the air-ground network and communication synergy provided by the F-35's sensing and calculation.

In addition to its speed, manoeuvrability and advanced air-to-ground weapons, USAF experts believe that the F-35's other crucial features that will enable it to successfully perform close air support missions are ‘sensing’, ‘information processing’ and ‘precision targeting’. 

The F-35's oft-discussed ‘sensor fusion’ modules, which have been in development for many years, operate with the ability to integrate different pools of incoming sensor data and quickly create an integrated picture for pilots. It is emphasised that this allows for an unprecedented scale of precision air-ground targeting and attack. However, the usability of all these features in real operational environments remains untested and unproven.

Conclusion

The F-35A's critical technological capabilities that will enable it to outperform the A-10 in the CAS environment are networking, precision sensing and high-speed, accurate air-ground information sharing, which the A-10 lacks at these levels. These are critical capabilities that can position the F-35A to excel in a CAS environment, but the ability to perform these functions at longer ranges will also add operational value to the CAS capability. 

While the legendary aircraft, the Tank Killer A-10, has forever cemented its place in the hearts of ground troops for the lives it has saved, new, possibly even more advanced variants of ground-fired, surface-to-air assault weapons, small arms fire and shoulder-fired ammunition will be introduced to the battlefield. These new weapons will carry much more lethal risks for the A-10 than years ago. In other words, the days of the veteran A-10 are numbered. 

Therefore, the precision targeting and high-speed, consistent air-ground connectivity provided by computing, sensing and weapons may mean that the F-35A may be best positioned for CAS in the coming years, but until it is decommissioned, the A-10's CAS reputation will be the F-35A's nightmare. The A-10 set the CAS bar very high, and it will not be easy for the F-35A to surpass it.