A couple of US Agencies have been trialling Super Tucanos over the last 4 years. This is not really a new event. Again, as I said prev, over 5 agencies have been using light attack aircraft in a COIN role over the last 5 years.
I know these small, armed prop trainers are all the buzz these days, but I have trouble getting enthusiastic about them for the USAF. They may fill needs in smaller air forces, but I don't think they are a great fit for us.
Dispersed airfields in theory provide greater responsiveness, but in practice come with a host of problems. You can't just park a few aircraft on a dirt strip. You need a force protection package to sanitize the area around the airfield. You need to fly or truck in fuel, munitions, spares and maintenance crews. You need to house everything.
All of this turns a supposedly small, austere airbase into a major undertaking.
Personally, I would rather see a small jet, perhaps based on a trainer or even a business jet like the Cessna Citation series.
There are obvious drawbacks to using a bizjet (e.g. low-altitude survivability, maneuverability lack of ejection seats), but the benefits include known low costs of operation, potential shirt-sleeve work environment with lavatory (for those extremely long missions), and interior space for additional crew stations or rest areas.
Making this work would require a small guided munition that could be carried in numbers to take the place of strafing. Perhaps something like APKWS II. Ideally, munition standoff range and altitude would allow the bizjet to stay out of the trashfire envelope.
With long range, reasonably high cruising speed, AAR-capable, and a comfortable working environment, bizjet attack aircraft could be clustered at larger airbases and benefit from economies of scale for force protection and sustainment.
