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Not to derail but add a bit of older history to the discussion.
Any of you even older FOGs remember the 1st Special Operations Squadron, flying Douglas A-1 Skyraiders (Sandy)?
Low and slow with ample weapons stations to support ground troops. Or support SAR/CSAR as needed during the Vietnam war.
Concept was a predecessor to the A-10 (Originally an Army Air Corps) proposition the Air Force didn't want. AF generals have always had their heads high in the stratosphere since their inception. Unless you create a fixed wing aircraft then they feel it belongs to them.
From my Infantry days to Group and working SR as primary mission we did a lot of training in CAS and CSAR with everything from A-10s to B-1Bs. About the closest you could get to calling in CAS - Danger Close from a fast mover were F-15Es and some F-16s that wouldn't blow you up simply because they took the time to find you on the ground before plotting their own weapons release.
A-10s are hands down the best fixed wing for CAS, but the AH-64 Apache should if fuel and distance is not a factor in station time/response time be considered a close second.
Smart weapons are only as dumb as the human that programs them, until we can make humans fool proof I still prefer a second set of eyes.
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Last edited by Old Dog New Trick; 06-15-2014 at 13:19.
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