American Mercenary takes another look at USAF & CAS

via AM

Close Air Support is the biggest mission the USAF has going if a war lasts more than a few months. But during the first bit of a war, CAS isn't even on any USAF planners minds. The USAF views CAS as a very low priority mission because it is not a "future shaping" mission. CAS effects the battlefield today where Air Superiority/Supremacy leads to conducting the "deep strike" mission with impunity. The "deep strike" mission is often the exact same targets as what they would service in CAS, but without any troops in contact.

Read it all here. 

The USAF if nothing else has a public relations problem..but in my opinion its more than that.

They're picking and choosing missions to justify the toys they want to buy.  The F-35?  MAYBE.  Just maybe it fits the 1st Gulf War's "first day of war" concept, but we didn't do it that way for the 2nd.  If they're planning on fighting technologically advanced opponents that have even two brain cells to rub together then the days of being able to launch a 90 plus day bombing campaign are long over.

What does that mean?

It means that China will be launching missiles at our bases, trying to sink our ships and putting our troops in contact at the worst possible times.

It means that CAS will be necessary from day one.

The USAF has a problem...and it relates to mindset and ideology.  Time for a purge in that service.