Not really, it’s a myth that the Air Force “wanted” to retire the A-10. The Air Force was forced to choose the A-10 or F-35, they couldn’t have both. So what do you do, chuck a 5th generation weapon system (remember, SecDef Robert “Screw The Airforce” Gates chopped the F-22 program down to 183 aircraft in a personal vendetta against the Air Force and was chief architect of the retire-the-A-10 plan; he’s still bitter that he was involuntarily separated (kicked out for poor performance) when he was an Air Force lieutenant with Strategic Air Command)? It’s a horrible choice, chuck Close Air Support or chuck 5th generation capability in a giant step backward for US airpower. It’s like living in a desert and having to decide between heating your house in the winter or air conditioning it in the summer and being told you HAVE TO choose one because you don’t get both. Do you want a house that 35 F all day everyday in the winter or >100 F all summer? What do you do?
If you want to bitch about somebody, start with SecDef Gates, who made this nightmare a reality.