Unfortunately the A 10 has been in the inventory a LOT longer than it usefulness will show. the use of small short range unmanned aircraft is showing to the world the vulnerability of the current armored group. this was determined to be a serious problem in the early 1990s with the development of the top attack family of field artillery. In other word using a flying cannon to open up the top of a tank is a very expensive , poorly survivable answer to the problem of the armored attack when compared to the sophisticated tool attack mortar round or now the short range GPOS, or laser targeted top attack UAV. SO while the Aircraft comparison seem neat to justify the system . it is now an unsurvivable aircraft that for short range non challenged airspace replaced by UAVs and top attack mortars, and for challenged airspace by F 35 and the F 16 w top attack guided munitions.