"TOliver" wrote:

:While many of us may view the F/A18 series as less than perfect, I doubt
:that any with any experience in a fleet environment would choose any
ossible upgrade or refinement of an A10 as any more than an unrealistic (if
:not ridiculous) proposal. Sadly, all those surplus S3 Vikings gone to the
:graveyard would have been many times more effective in such a role than all
:the A10 airframes in the world (and many times more effective would not be
:effective enough to be suitable).

I'll just note that a Super Bug configured with tanks and for an
air-to-air mission has a pretty good 'hang time'. Not the most
comfortable aircraft for a long duration mission, but then folks have
done 8+ hour missions in the C/D Hornet going into Afghanistan
(tanking 3 times along the way).

--
"We sleep safe in our beds because rough men stand ready in the night
to visit violence on those who would do us harm.
-- George Orwell