Do not need supersonic capabilities, just high subsonic. call it Mach 0.8 or so. So engines do not require afterburners, and airframe does not require high strength high heat tolerance materials.
Do not necessarily need a super high end air interception radar, but do need good ground mapping and terrain following radar. (if the only difference is software, it's cheaper to use the same build on more aircraft than have a custom build for each)
Do need a back seater to operate drones in MUMT and act as flying FAC.
I would want it able to do both, to have the option as defenses evolve. That allows the planes to last longer, so their costs get amortized over longer lives.
Probably one of the drones the Replacement will quarterback, not the Replacement itself.
I believe you can have guns a little closer than that if you make a gun run parallel to the line of contact instead of perpendicular.
Also, do you happen to have the Danger Close range for APKWS? Because I was leaning towards APKWS for the long distance danger close shots, as the plane rolls in for the gun pass. Should be under 100m, i think.
Is the Hellfire powered through the entirety of flight? If so, the rocket will act as a high explosive when the casing shatters on impact. And that makes a larger boom than an unpowered kinetic impact with ginsu blades deployed.
