The big problem with the A-10, it was built for a war that never happened. We didn’t end up going all in on a tank war with the soviets in Russia.
Also, as the Ukranian conflict has shown, we have so many other ways to combat armor that aren’t as vulnerable as an a-10.
BUT
Here comes the love again.
It wasn’t built for it, but it has been an awesome COIN (counter insurgency) fighter. It can hang around in the AO for hours, and rain hot death when needed (hopefully on target). This is because it doesn’t have to deal with modern air defenses when fighting insurgents. It also has an effect on battle morale. The big gun is either good news (if you are pinned down) or the sound of death (if you are the bad guys.)
But, I wanted to make this thread, to educate. I used to be an a-10 truther as well, but the more you learn and read… the shine wears off. I still love the thing, but man does it have downsides I didn’t even know about.