C350Carl
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The Russians DO have an odd mindset but they have a different conops for their attack helis.
The big thing at near peer level is that the airspace below 12000' is pretty much closed off over the modern battlefield due to increasingly advanced MANPADS and battlefield gun/ missile systems. As in, it's plain lethal now. Doesn't matter whether fixed or rotary wing; the US A-10 force in Germany in the 80s was restricted to short range weapons, which required low altitude. The expected force casualties were 50%/ sortie...
So pretty much after Vietnam for the US, and GRANBY for us, everyone ditched low altitude and went to 15k, which means that FW have increasing advantages over rotary. It also means that an F-16 can do the job as well as an A-10 hence the move to kill off the Hog.
This concept is directly behind the development of BRIMSTONE, it can be used standoff in large quantities from med alt for relatively low cost (and low risk to the launch platform), vs. close range, low enough for light AA and small arms and hossifers pistols, and high risk to the launch platform.
I don't know where you have got the info from about below 12k. But it's wrong!
An F16 (or any other fast jet for that matter) can not do the job as well as a Hog. For a start it can't fly as slow so can't operate as low nor is it built to withstand as much as the A10. An F16's only use for CAS is to drop ordnance or conduct a SoF. It can't do strafing runs anywhere near as effectively (it can do them but not as precise or as intense). It was tried to be killed off because of the expense of keeping it going and the cost of developing a new version. They are currently keeping it in service as the need for CAS will remain, even in a modern battlefield. It is also very useful in COIN ops as the Gun is the easiest to achieve a 0/0 CDE vs Brimstone or any other bomb. They are however looking at a replacement and they are looking at employing the same design idea. I.E build the plane around the gun.
Anyway we are waaaaay off topic now. Planes, Helo's and Ships don't have to worry about headlights in Europe.