People mistakenly think CAS is solely about getting down and dirty in the weeds and mud...it's not!
With appropriate sensors, comms and weapons, CAS can and is done by strategic platforms from medium altitudes. I've seen B-1Bs and B-52s doing CAS in Afghanistan, and F-111Fs did CAS in GW1 (plinking). Today Predators do CAS from >10000 with Hellfire and GBUs, and AC-130s have been doing it for decades from >8000 feet.
Post A-10, the CAS domain will be divvied up between attack helos, UASs and LASs at the lo end, AC-130s and UASs in the mid, and F-35, UCAVs and other fast movers and bombers at the hi end.
Last edited by FoxtrotAlpha18; 14th May 2013 at 12:22.