- Expansion preserves combat power, says USAF secretary.
- Arizona Senator Mark Kelly has fought to stave off the A-10’s retirement.
- The USAF warns A-10s are straining resources to maintain newer ones.
The US Air Force has extended the life of its A-10 “Warthog” attack aircraft until 2030, although the aging platform remains tied to recent combat operations in the Strait of Hormuz, where one plane was lost in disputed circumstances amid heightened tensions with Iran.
Air Force Secretary Troy Meink announced the extension, saying it will maintain combat capability while the Defense Industrial Base ramps up production of newer aircraft.
The decision comes in the wake of an earlier A-10 loss in the region, which Iranian authorities claimed was a shoot-down, while US accounts described it as a crash, with the cause still under investigation.
“We will EXTEND the A-10 ‘Warthog’ platform to 2030,” Air Force Secretary Troy Meink wrote on social media, adding that the move “preserves combat power as the defense industrial base works to increase production of combat aircraft.”
The development is the latest chapter in a long-running battle over the fate of the plane, which first flew in 1976 and has been on the Pentagon’s chopping block for more than two decades.
The A-10 has been used in the current conflict with Iran, according to US Central Command. Its powerful nose-mounted guns have been used against Iranian ships in the Strait of Hormuz, according to reports.
Some in the Air Force have long argued that the Warthog is too old, too slow and too expensive to maintain, and that it would free up money for modernization priorities like developing hypersonic weapons.
Critics have warned that cutting the Navy without an adequate replacement would leave ground troops without adequate air support.
But the A-10 has proven nearly impossible to kill, due in large part to its political staying power. The largest concentration of the Navy is based at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, Arizona, which contributes to the local economy.
The Air Force is among the region’s best employers. Arizona is a battleground state that has become increasingly influential in deciding US presidential elections.
In 2021, Arizona Senator Mark Kelly successfully pushed a proposal from the Biden administration to retire dozens of the planes, securing language in defense legislation that blocked any retirement.
Kelly argued that the aircraft should not be cut without a suitable replacement to carry out the close air support mission.
Air Force officials have also warned that keeping the full fleet strains the supply of mechanics needed to service newer aircraft.
The latest expansion suggests that for now these concerns have once again taken a backseat to maintaining combat capability.
