Is is plausible for the USN to have a carrier based A-10 Thunderbolt II?
A USN or USMC A-10 for CV operation will end up being almost an all-new aircraft. You'd need much stronger landing gear and much more corrosion resistance, and you might need to look at landing speed (Fowler flaps) and pilot visibility in the approach. All these reasons explain why land-based a/c rarely transition to carriers (though the opposite sometimes does happen).
Another question is why. Carriers are limited in the aircraft they can carry. Deck spaces are at a premium. Why would the navy tie up a squadron's worth of spots, say 12, for an aircraft which is only useful for close air support? That is a very small portion of navy sorties.
IMHO, a USMC land-based version might have made sense. A CV-based version, not so much.
Another question is why.
Like CalBear says it would need to be a new aircraft. Although the A10 was designed for survivablity in combat that does not translate to what would be needed for multiple deck landings cycles. The USMC could operate it in a ground support role, but the Marines are using aircraft now that are also able to operate onboard carriers replacing USN aircraft units. The Navy, and that includes the USMC, are looking at using existing airframes that are already in use by them for new aircraft and missions, like the EF18 Growler replacing the EA6 Prowler. The EF18 is a two seat FA18 that is redone to do the Electronic warfare mission much like they did to the EA6 from the A6 aircraft.
All in all, I would not want to be on a destroyer with a naval A-10 coming in for a strafing attack! I bet that big a$$ gun could sink a tin can with just a couple of seconds burst.
That gun was designed to bust armor, probably could do heavy damage to a cruiser as well.
I vaguely recall reading a book, Tom Clancy or Something like that where some national guard A-10's bust up ships.
docfl
All in all, I would not want to be on a destroyer with a naval A-10 coming in for a strafing attack! I bet that big a$$ gun could sink a tin can with just a couple of seconds burst.
That gun was designed to bust armor, probably could do heavy damage to a cruiser as well.
I vaguely recall reading a book, Tom Clancy or Something like that where some national guard A-10's bust up ships.
docfl
That'd Be a bit of a problem.How about an A-6 Intruder with a GAU-8 Avenger gun pod?
The Dutch built a CIWS system based around it called Goalkeeper.Apologies and credit to Bearcat for the misidentification. The GAU-8 would be a good weapon to have on a small patrol boat, if it didn't shake it apart when it fired.
You might want to use the AC-130 family instead of the B-52, since B-52s are Precious antiques and C-130s, well, they Aren't.Might make a good gun for say a B52 gunship, mount 4 of them firing forward like on the B25J, might make some folks hunker down.