After years of anticipation and procedural wrangling, a redacted report obtained by the Project On Government Oversight (POGO) through litigation has shed light on the F-35’s close air support (CAS) capabilities, casting doubt on its ability to effectively replace the A-10 Warthog.

The comparative tests, designed to fulfill a congressional mandate, evaluated the F-35 and A-10 in their ability to perform crucial combat roles, including CAS, airborne forward air control, and combat search and rescue.

The tests, conducted from April 2018 to March 2019, faced criticism for the environment in which they were carried out. The absence of ground troops and use of “simulated ordnance” further distanced the tests from a genuine CAS demonstration, as accurate representation of the chaos and fluidity of ground combat was not achieved.

Based on the limited information currently accessible, it’s evident that the Air Force’s strategy to supplant the A-10’s functionalities will fall short. Nonetheless, Congress stands at the brink of greenlighting the retirement of 42 A-10s in the upcoming fiscal year, a decision reached amidst a dearth of widespread dissemination of the report’s findings.

The released portions of the report indicate that the F-35A did not outperform the A-10C in several key areas. Notably, the report suggests that it takes more F-35 sorties than A-10 sorties to attack the same number of targets, and that the “typical loadout of the A-10C enabled more attacks than the typical loadout of the F-35A.”

The A-10’s robust design includes a 30mm GAU-8 cannon system with an ammunition capacity of 1,350 rounds, compared to the F-35A’s smaller 25mm cannon system with only 181 rounds. The F-35’s gun accuracy issues and smaller bomb load, particularly in stealth mode, place it at a distinct disadvantage against the A-10’s capabilities.

Amidst the program’s low readiness rates, with the full mission capable rate of less than 50% as reported by the Government Accountability Office in September 2023, the F-35’s ability to compensate for the A-10’s retirement by increasing sortie rates remains uncertain.

The report also highlights that, in practice, A-10 pilots could fly closer to the ground and targets, due to the aircraft’s armor protection and redundant systems, while F-35 pilots had to rely on flying high and stealth to avoid enemy fire. This difference has significant implications for precision and safety in close air support operations involving ground troops.

The report hints at an intriguing conclusion amidst the buzz surrounding the F-35’s acclaimed data-sharing capabilities. Pilots operating A-10s during the tests reported a “significantly lower workload,” indicating fewer tasks to manage compared to F-35A pilots, particularly during airborne forward air controller missions.

In such missions, one pilot identifies the target and relays necessary information to another pilot who executes the strike. Proponents of the F-35 program often emphasize how its advanced sensors and real-time data sharing enhance the overall force’s situational awareness.

However, the revelation that F-35 pilots require more effort to coordinate with counterparts suggests a reality check may be in order, especially given the redacted nature of the subsequent sections in the testing report, leaving the significance of the issue uncertain.

Many pilots involved in the tests reached an interesting consensus, highlighting the significance of both the A-10 and specialized aircraft for specific missions.

They repeatedly emphasized the effectiveness of pairing A-10s in an attack role with F-35s providing cover, citing it as a potent combination that leverages the strengths of both platforms while addressing their respective limitations.

“This would combine the strengths of both platforms while mitigating their limitations to improve the likelihood of mission success,” the report notes.

While much remains undisclosed about the tests due to limited information availability, the report underscores that the F-35 did not demonstrate itself as markedly superior in fulfilling the A-10’s multifaceted roles.

Relevant articles:
– F-35 and A-10 Close Air Support Flyoff Report, Project on Government Oversight (POGO)
– Air Force finally reveals a little bit about how the F-35 stacks up in providing close air support, federalnewsnetwork.com
– F-35 versus A-10 showdown revived as new documents come to light, Sandboxx
– F-35 Lightning II Vs A-10 Warthog: Which Is The Better Close-Air Support Aircraft?, SlashGear