The U.S. Air Force is currently reviewing draft requirements for a new close air support (CAS) aircraft that might not be as tough or as deadly as the legendary Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II first flown in 1972. But the replacement aircraft will certainly be cheaper.

The new "A-10"-like aircraft isn't expected to have all of the specs that made the A-10 famous: superior armor protection for the pilot; a massive rotary cannon; a heavy weapons load and unrelenting reliability. The Air Force intends to retire the A-10 "Warthog" in 2022 and replace it with F-35s on a squadron-by-squadron basis.

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The F-35, however, is far too expensive to be sent on daily missions so the need arises for a cheaper CAS aircraft, especially for low intensity conflicts; counterterrorism and regional stability operations.

Among the operational aircraft being considered as the A-10 replacement are the Embraer EMB 314/A-29 Super Tucano from Brazil and the Raytheon T-100 / Alenia Aermacchi M-346 Master from Italy that's competing in the Air Force's T-X Program.

The Super Tucano is a turboprop aircraft designed for light attack, counter insurgency (COIN) and close air support. The M-346 Master was originally designed as a military twin-engine transonic trainer aircraft but can conduct CAS missions, anti-shipping and aerial combat missions.

"We are developing that draft requirements document.  We are staffing it around the Air Force now," said Lt. Gen. James Holmes, Deputy Chief of Staff for Strategic Plans and Requirements.

"When it's ready, then we will compare that to what we have available, compare it to keeping the A-10, compare it to what it would take to replace it with another airplane, and we will work through that process."

He said the Air Force was exploring ways to achieve, preserve and sustain air superiority in future long-term, high-end combat engagements. He revealed that considerations about a CAS replacement aircraft figured prominently in the strategic calculus surrounding these issues.

Cost and affordability will, therefore, be a very large part of the equation when it comes to making the decision about an A-10 replacement, said Gen. Holmes.

"The question is exactly where is the sweet spot as we talked about between what's available now and what the optimum CAS replacement would be. We are working along that continuum to see exactly what the requirement is that we can afford and the numbers that we need to be able to do the mission."

TagsFairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II f, U.S. Air Force, Embraer EMB 314/A-29 Super Tucano, Raytheon T-100 / Alenia Aermacchi M-346 Master