...Sortie rate smells like a poor reason to knock -B if it can do 6/day - but it perhaps shows the USAF is looking for reasons to knock it.....one wonders why!
Indeed. A strange story. The USAF has never been going to get the B has it, so why go out of their way to criticise it?
The USAF did lose some A10 squadrons in the recent cut backs though, and the F35A is due to take over their role although not the most natural of substitutes methinks. Perhaps, behind the scenes, they have been asked to convert some As to Bs, maybe to help reduce the latter's unit costs and arguing it's more suited to this CAS role? All pure speculation on my part to try and make sense of a curiosity.