Air Support with a Decade Long Delay?

The Development of USAF Based on Operational Demands through the So-called Light Attack Aircraft Procurement Programme

Abstract

The United States Air Force (USAF) has conducted a procurement programme specifically for low intense, close air support purposes, based on the asymmetric operational needs of the last two decades. The different stages and the outcome of the programme have revealed many issues, mainly due to the significant differences between the original requirements and the current and different operational circumstances. I will examine whether the predominance of these asymmetric skills is still valid or the possible increase of the more conventional abilities had any effect on the success of this particular procurement programme.