--- title: "Looks like the A-10 will battle the F-35 for CAS dominance after all" date: "2018-04-02" modified: "2020-10-21" authors: - name: "Blake Stilwell" job_title: "Editor-In-Chief, Air Force Veteran" link: "https://www.wearethemighty.com/authors/blake/" url: "https://www.wearethemighty.com/articles/10-will-square-off-f-35-cas-dominance/" categories: - "History" --- # Looks like the A-10 will battle the F-35 for CAS dominance after all ![]() Despite Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Welsh's assertion that a head-to-head competition between the A-10 Warthog and the new F-35 Joint Strike Fighter would be "[silly]()," Department of Defense officials tell the Washington Times there are now [exercises]() in the planning stages to test the F-35's close air support (CAS) capabilities. --- Now that the Air Force has figured out why some F-35 jet engines [ignite]() on takeoff, it's ready to retire its A-10 fleet. Over it's 30-plus years of service, the A-10 has become a beloved platform and a welcome sight and sound to troops on the ground who love to hear the distinctive sound of it's nose cannon projecting freedom and 30 mm rounds on America's enemies. The Air Force wants to retire the Warthog for what it calls "budget [cuts]()" — but most suspect this is to help pay for the development of the F-35. With a total price tag of $1.5 trillion, the F-35 is set to be the most expensive weapons program ever developed by any country *ever*. And for that price you get stealth and other high-tech gee-wizzary, but no BRRRRRRRRRRRRRT. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NvIJvPj_pjE Retiring the A-10 is controversial to some members of Congress and the military who accuse the Air Force of planning to mothball the Warthog without providing a CAS replacement. Gen. Welsh claims the F-35 was never intended to replace the A-10's CAS capability but that the F-35 was designed "with the whole battle space in mind." The tests are currently set to be held in 2018, which doesn't really make sense because the software for the F-35's guns isn't scheduled to be delivered until [2019](). In the meantime the heated discussions will rage. What do you think? Do we need to keep the A-10 or go all-in with the Joint Strike Fighter? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below. ### NOW: [The Air Force's Trillion-Dollar Jet Lost a Dogfight to An Aircraft From the 70s ]() ## Author Blake Stilwell is We Are The Mighty's Editor-in-Chief, covering military news, entertainment, and history, along with veteran education, employment and entrepreneurship. He is a former U.S. Air Force combat cameraman with degrees in Graphic Design, Television and Film, International Relations, Public Relations, Business Management and Middle Eastern Affairs. After leaving the military, he began working in film and television production in New York and Los Angeles, work that included ABC News, NBC Olympics, and HBO Sports. He then spent two years in Washington with White House Communications, before joining the Near East Foundation. At NEF he served as an International Development Fellow, then Communications Officer, and finally, Media Officer for the Middle East and Africa. Based in the Palestinian Territory, he coordinated strategic communications between eight country offices, international media, and government and NGO partners. He began a career focused on writing and editing in 2015 with We Are The Mighty. He left in 2019 for Military.com, but returned as Editor-in-Chief in 2025. Blake’s work has been seen on CBS News, Fox News, CBC, The Chicago Tribune, Task & Purpose, Military Times, Recoil, Skillset, American History, and was shockingly even used in a Supreme Court argument. He is an avid traveler and small business owner in Ohio, where he spends most of his energy fixing up a very old house. ### Author social links [Facebook]() [Twitter]() [Instagram]() [LinkedIn]()