The B-1 can carry a lot of precision ordinance, and has a very long stand by time. They can fly around in circles up high for hours, and almost instantly deliver lots of power anywhere in the AO. I guess the real reason they are kinda sorta doing CAS is that we don't have any strategic bombing for them to do.
The AF has been trying to replace the A-10 with the F16 for the CAS role. As a former tanker, I think this is a really bad idea. The A-10 is much more effective for close support, but the F16 seems much safer if there is enemy air around.
My biggest objection to the F16s is that they really just can't fly slow enough to properly identify ground targets. The F16s are in and out QUICK. By comparison, the A10 seems to float like a blimp. Maybe the difference in specs isn't as big as it seemed to me, but the pig drivers always seemed to have a much easier time identifying friendly and enemy positions because they had more time.
Asked and answered. Thanks. Forgot about those JDAMs....
800 ambushers? Is that a typo? That's batallion strength, even if they're puppetheads.
F-16 in place of a Hog would be a big mistake. The hog was designed from the cannon out to be a close air support for infantry. It is slow and TOUGH. It has a titanium tub for the hog driver, twin outboard engines, self sealing tanks that can take a 20mm round, and other survivability features. The F-16 is made to kill fast things in the air, and get away from other fast things in the air.
Yep... the only plane in the inventory that has to worry about taking bird strikes from the rear. :)