I specially made a new account to participate in aviation related discussions which seem to get hijacked quite often here.
After reading the whole thread (Literally), I have concluded some points and want to add some information in both (airomerix's and stingray's) information.
1)airomerix
Brother, I was delighted to see your information and enthusiasm regarding aerospace but please note that A-5s DONNOT have a radar. As correctly mentioned by stingray. But they do have a attack computer but you cannot possibly call a "radar"
An aircraft with a nose cone necessarily does not have a radar.
The rest of your information was pretty much accurate. 
@Stingray,
Brother, I'am sorry but I must say that inspite being in the airforce you still failed to comply with the standards of the discussion. Yes indeed the language you used was not desirable or rather it was shameful to be uttered by an "officer". Please becareful on Public forums as here you are projecting the image of the organisation you belong to and that is "Pakistan Air Force"
Now as for the errors and omissions in your knowledge, I shall add
1) A-5s are not LGB capable on their own as correctly mentioned by airomerix. Yes thats right because even P-47s and P-51s used LGBs to neutralise the panzers and german ressistance forces in WWII with the help of ground forces. So can we call P-47 LGB capable? The simple answer is "NO"!
2) Mirage has no comparasion with A-5. What ever A-5 can perform in a good way, Mirage can perform it flawlessly and beautifully.
3) Mirage and F-7s had greater range and payload then A-5 and hence can inflict damage on targets more effectively.
4) A-5 was a very maintaince hungry aircraft.
5) Mirage and F-7s both can carry "smart weapons" so one should not complain that A-5s "can be" equally capable. If they are not then why to deny the fact?
6) A-5s were only used for daytime low level bombing and strike. And so are Mirages usually deployed for these missions (excluding Antiship and surgical strike missions). Hence turn rate is not the issue. It is the payload, ECM, EW, weapons and strike range which counts when discussion "attack" aircraft. A-10 is the best example with all these goodies.
7) If groud forces were to be able to lase the targets every time then our new aircraft never required the built-in lasing capability. You are "completely" wrong on this point. JSC (Joint Staff Command) does not mean that ground forces will move in everytime an airstrike is to be made. In war, every hour couple of jets take off for CAP's and strike missions. It doesnt mean they will await the arrival of ground troops to lase the target. A-5 was no more then a point defence aircraft which was be called by our army to inflict damage to Indian armour incase they advance rapidly towards our borders. Or in short, a Close air support platform in PAF.
I would love to sit with you at our mess in Sargodha. Currently Iam in 38TFW in OCU squad. Waiting for my selection in Block 52 fighter conversion. What is your status? Grounded or still fighting fit?
