LW50 - Correct. And for many AFs, their FJ forces are what they have to do anything in support of troops in contact.
In fact there's a whole spectrum of things that you can use. UAVs, light-attack types with laser-guided rockets, small helos, big helos, gunships (including C-27s and CN-235s these days) and fighters.
They differ mainly in survivability (depends in part on whether the bad guys have MANPADS) and persistence.
Two requirements: first is the right weapons - where you want precision, short-time-of-flight and (unless TOF is very short) the ability to get the weapon off the target if the situation changes.
The second is the right sensors and comms, which is where the F-35, for the time being, falls very short.