I have a friend who is an A-10 pilot and is currently deployed to Afganistan. The way he tells it, they are going to be de-commisioned for another plane although the A-10 is FAR superior for the job it was designed to do according to him. He should know, he fly's one.
According to him, the Army and Marines have approached the Air Force and have offered to pay the Air Force to keep the A-10 in service because it is so good at supporting ground troops. He says that politics have gotten in the way and some brass has declined in favor of the new aircraft (baby) they are wanting to bring out.
