> Why does the Air Force seem to hate the A-10 so much? Many experts say it is part of the branch’s efforts to replace the jet with the multirole F-35 Lightning II and the F-15EX Eagle II, which the service argues can also perform close air support. But many members of Congress, including former military aviators, say the F-35 can’t hold a candle to the A-10 in the close air support business. The Air Force also argues that the slow-moving A-10, while great against Taliban insurgents wielding low-tech AK-47s and RPGs, would not survive against higher-tech anti-aircraft fire.
It's a cultural issue - the USAF want to move on to newer platforms - I think because they originally pitched the F-35 could replace it and now they want to show that can be the same. My vague understanding is also that at some point the Army even offered to run the A-10 instead if the USAF didn't want it, and then that got the USAF to dig their heels in half-way between wanting to get rid of it and not wanting anyone else to have it either, because they don't want the Army encroaching on their core skill of aviation.
Hence why they're now stuck in a conflicted limbo and nothing is happening.
> because they don't want the Army encroaching on their core skill of aviation
That's exactly what's going on. Incidentally that's one of the reasons USAF did their best to bury the promising AH-56 Cheyenne [0] back in the day, it was in direct competition with their own program that would later become the perennial A-10. [1]
Warthog pilots are aging. It's tough to convince a good, young pilot to train for a frame on life support. It makes sense that the people who have to recruit, train and retain those new pilots would push back against having to do so.
> Military pilots get to choose their assignments? Is that how the military works?
We have a professional Air Force. It's not uncommon to see e.g. F-16 pilots "retire" into senior management roles. These are smart, ambitious people. If you want to keep it that way, you give them a say in the planes they fly.
Yes - it's supposed to be a volunteer military, not conscription. You ideally want people doing jobs that they want to be doing. (Can't always meet that ideal.)
The pilots get to submit a limited list of preferences, but there's a fixed list of slots, like "f22 => 2, f16 => 4, ... kc-135 => 3".
Then, your ranking in the class drives when it's your turn to pick. Along with some other criteria. For example, some aircraft have min/max pilot height criteria because of the ejection seat. So some pilots do end up flying aircraft they didn't really want to fly.
In the UK at least, RAF pilots who have gone through basic flight training have a broad choice between fast air, widebody and rotary wing (helicopters). Once you pick a particular type (and assuming you pass the relevant aptitude / selection tests), there is a complex career progression that includes type-specific training and then assignment to a squadron that operates a particular type of aircraft. Pilots who have trained on one type can't be randomly 'assigned' to a different aircraft without a lot of extra training.
Similarly, in the British Army, all soldiers go through basic training and then choose a particular military 'trade' (e.g. infantry, armour, artillery, etc). They receive trade-specific training before joining a relevant unit. Some regiments even have 'father and son' social events where an officer joined the same regiment that his father did.
The Royal Navy has similar career personal-choice progression routes for weapons officers, engineers, etc.
It's a cultural issue - the USAF want to move on to newer platforms - I think because they originally pitched the F-35 could replace it and now they want to show that can be the same. My vague understanding is also that at some point the Army even offered to run the A-10 instead if the USAF didn't want it, and then that got the USAF to dig their heels in half-way between wanting to get rid of it and not wanting anyone else to have it either, because they don't want the Army encroaching on their core skill of aviation.
Hence why they're now stuck in a conflicted limbo and nothing is happening.