[aviation news]
The U.S. Air Force is reportedly speeding up plans to retire the Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II, better known as the “Warthog,” and could phase out the entire fleet by 2027.
According to FlightGlobal, President Donald Trump’s budget request for the 2026 fiscal year includes $57 million to support the retirement of all 162 remaining Air Force Warthogs. The outlet cited senior Pentagon officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
The A-10 was produced between 1972 and 1984, making most of the fleet between 40 and 50 years old.
The Air Force has been slowly retiring its Warthogs since 2023, but their replacement by the F-35 remains controversial.
While Air Force leadership claims the A-10 is vulnerable to modern air defense systems employed by enemy nations, defenders in the military and in Congress contend no other aircraft, including the F-35, can match the Warthog’s close air support capabilities. This functionality was demonstrated in the mid-2010s as the U.S. used the Warthog in operations against the Islamic State, prompting the Air Force to briefly freeze retirement planning in 2016.
The A-10’s backers have also pointed to the F-35’s high production and operating costs, and suggest a mass replacement will ultimately cost the government more money.
Under the Joe Biden administration, the Air Force expected to completely retire the A-10 by 2028 or 2029. President Donald Trump, however, has prioritized a more rapid phaseout of older military platforms. In May, the Pentagon ordered the U.S. Army to end procurement of the Boeing AH-64D Apache and General Atomics’ MQ-1C Gray Eagle.
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