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Description
Having served in an A-10 squadron as well as USAF and USN intelligence, it irks me to see the Air Force be so cavalier about the Army's need for dedicated, close air support.

Since the USAF loves throwing billions at whiz-bang future craft, here's my pitch for re-purposing the A-10 and leveraging new and emerging weapons systems:

Sensor fusion, a rear-seat weapons system officer, ground attack and anti-radiation radar, coupled with jamming pods and a self-defense laser for airborne missiles. The fuselage is slightly stretched forward for the radar and laser components and a "hunchback is added to put in a J-35 engine to provide auxiliary power for boosting the electronics and laser systems (it can also be used to climb and maneuver when needed).

The future version of the GBU-39 small diameter bomb currently prototyped as the "Golden Horde" provides a loitering, autonomous (and guided) munition that can also glide after launch to increase stand-off range is equipped along with the new AGM-88 anti-radiation missile and a couple of pairs of AIM-9's for self defense.

The small bombs can be used to strike any type of target and are controllable with a touch screen tablet. The HARM missiles can re-target or remain on target even if the SAM radar is turned off.

None of this is "imaginary weaponry". Raytheon has tested a laser pod on an Apache helicopter and the USN has played with solid-state, electronic lasers for some years now. It's a bit of a stretch to get the laser power boosted enough to be knife-quick at killing but a short range defense laser is in the near future. Boosting power with an auxiliary jet engine lets the wingtip jamming pods as well as the laser get pushed as far as they can go.

Better radar and sensor-fusion would require a big computer upgrade but nothing here ids anything more than an engineering and design issue. Leveraging smart munitions adds multi-role versatility to the design and whiuloe it wouldn't be a cheap aircraft, it wouldn't be on the bleeding edge either (other than the laser).

The J-35 and the A-10's current engine all are light-weight fuel sippers and removing the GAU-8 gets rid of tons of equipment to be replaced with far less weight--allowing strengthened wing roots for bigger ordinance carrying inboard.

Mavericks and other ordinance could still be carried but the design shown here allows the aircraft to not only6 provide CAS to ground troops but to simultaneously provide air defense suppression and battlefield overwatch.

Not having stealth brings the price down and the dual role capability and unique platform make it worth being in the budget. The slow speed of the A-10 isn't a greater liability with this design as it allows endurance in the air, over the battlefield and the extra 5,000 lbs of thrust might get you altitude back more rapidly when needed after maneuvering. The HARM role also makes firing missiles at it a dicey proposition. So I think it would be more survivable than the current A-10.

Let me know what you think!

Description
Having served in an A-10 squadron as well as USAF and USN intelligence, it irks me to see the Air Force be so cavalier about the Army's need for dedicated, close air support.

Since the USAF loves throwing billions at whiz-bang future craft, here's my pitch for re-purposing the A-10 and leveraging new and emerging weapons systems:

Sensor fusion, a rear-seat weapons system officer, ground attack and anti-radiation radar, coupled with jamming pods and a self-defense laser for airborne missiles. The fuselage is slightly stretched forward for the radar and laser components and a "hunchback is added to put in a J-35 engine to provide auxiliary power for boosting the electronics and laser systems (it can also be used to climb and maneuver when needed).

The future version of the GBU-39 small diameter bomb currently prototyped as the "Golden Horde" provides a loitering, autonomous (and guided) munition that can also glide after launch to increase stand-off range is equipped along with the new AGM-88 anti-radiation missile and a couple of pairs of AIM-9's for self defense.

The small bombs can be used to strike any type of target and are controllable with a touch screen tablet. The HARM missiles can re-target or remain on target even if the SAM radar is turned off.

None of this is "imaginary weaponry". Raytheon has tested a laser pod on an Apache helicopter and the USN has played with solid-state, electronic lasers for some years now. It's a bit of a stretch to get the laser power boosted enough to be knife-quick at killing but a short range defense laser is in the near future. Boosting power with an auxiliary jet engine lets the wingtip jamming pods as well as the laser get pushed as far as they can go.

Better radar and sensor-fusion would require a big computer upgrade but nothing here ids anything more than an engineering and design issue. Leveraging smart munitions adds multi-role versatility to the design and whiuloe it wouldn't be a cheap aircraft, it wouldn't be on the bleeding edge either (other than the laser).

The J-35 and the A-10's current engine all are light-weight fuel sippers and removing the GAU-8 gets rid of tons of equipment to be replaced with far less weight--allowing strengthened wing roots for bigger ordinance carrying inboard.

Mavericks and other ordinance could still be carried but the design shown here allows the aircraft to not only6 provide CAS to ground troops but to simultaneously provide air defense suppression and battlefield overwatch.

Not having stealth brings the price down and the dual role capability and unique platform make it worth being in the budget. The slow speed of the A-10 isn't a greater liability with this design as it allows endurance in the air, over the battlefield and the extra 5,000 lbs of thrust might get you altitude back more rapidly when needed after maneuvering. The HARM role also makes firing missiles at it a dicey proposition. So I think it would be more survivable than the current A-10.

Let me know what you think!