This is the absolute truth. In my previous "jobs", I've seen the costs associated with equipment roll outs. Training and support personnel and the costs for those are "hidden", but very real and must be planned for....Vertical cuts - cutting an entire platform - are the best way to cut costs.
If you have a program of record, like an airplane, there is a huge personnel and infrastructure cost that supports it. To fly an airplane, you need a school for the pilots, a school for the maintainers, with instructors at both. You need dedicated test equipment and spare parts inventories. You’re paying for unique defense suppliers that build unique parts for that platform....
The tip of the spear fights - but the rest of the spear gets it to the fight.
I love the A-10, but it's time to move on and use the money more wisely on newer, more capable and robust systems.