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Yah what Ray said about the A10 role on the battlefield... it'za lowspeed close-support ground attack aircraft, therefor it's designation as an 'A'. Can't do that job if yer going mach1 20k feet above the ground.
The "F" planes* are supersonic air superiority fighters, primary role is to clear the skies and maintain airsupremacy so the slowmovers can do their job without being hassled from the sky.
* Except for the F117, which actually should have been designated an A. But since the original F117 pilots were recruited from the best pilots the USAF had, telling these hotshots they'll be driving a pickup truck instead of the ferrari presented a problem. In otherwords it was a marketing ploy to attract the fighter jockeys to join the F117 squadron.
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