Thunderbolt to Lightning: USAF aims to broaden close air support capabilty

摘要

As the US Air Force (USAF) looks to retire the A-10 Thunderbolt Ⅱ, many have questioned the F-35's ability to pick up the important close air support (CAS) role and effectively replace the 'Warthog'. The USAF believes the A-10's capability can now be provided by other platforms and as a result the service wants to strip funding from the aircraft to support the introduction of the F- 35 A Lightning Ⅱ.