. >> reporter: pierre sprey helped design the warthog in the late 1960s and '70s. he says it was built to do more than destroy soviet tanks and that it's uniquely tough airframe made it more survivable and capable than alternative aircraft. he says those newer planes cost much more to fly. he and other a-1o supporters mobilized to save the plane at a recent conference in washington d.c. >> you are going to buy extremely expensive aircraft that cause you a much worse financial problem and you are canning the cheapest airplane you operate, and saving a trivial amount of money. >> reporter: general schwartz says improvements in cockpit cameras, radars, electronics and precision munitions mean the planes that would replace the a- 10 are much better at protecting ground forces even from far above. >> increasingly the technology has allowed us to enjoy the same protections for friendlies through other means. >> reporter: but a-10 advocates say technology has limits. >> technology is good but the problem with using that technology, especially the optical stuff, is that it