Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they aren't out to get you.
CAS has been the business ever since air power got involved in tactical action. We need toys that will do it. A-10 was designed for it, but is long in the tooth. Harrier was only ever considered for it because of the short turn round out of a STOL strip near the action. They practiced hard but really needed to be able to loiter slower and more economically. Since its inception Harrier has got lots of new toys and upgrades that have made it ever more expensive and less expendable in a risky environment.
We need a cheap, robust and powerful CAS ac.
Apache? Hawk?? Tucano???