I suppose it might make a natural progression for the newly fledged Iraqi air force, but the last time that was suggested here, people who ought to know reckoned it would be shot out of the sky.
Funnily enough British Aerospace came up with the 'Small Agile Battlefield Aircraft, SABA, proposal around the late 1980's.
That was a relatively powerful pusher turboprop job, with a high-tech guided gun turret under the chin.
Whether it was a serious proposal, or a smoke-screen as a sop to Kingston / Dunsfold having the very exportable Hawk's production lines taken to Warton to keep it afloat, is another matter.
New-build A-10's with all the whistles & bells might be more useful, at least to the USAF, I'd think, and cheaper than a whole new programme unless they want something really light & vulnerable ?
As no defensive aids that I know of will fend off RPG's & AAA, ( and even Colombia has, I believe, a snag with the bad guys being well armed with G-A weapons ), can't see much hope for the Bronco ?...
Last edited by Double Zero; 4th Feb 2009 at 00:27.