What Will They Finally Do With The A-10?
BY Herschel Smith
2 hours, 17 minutes ago
It’s the most aesthetically pleasing aircraft ever fielded in my opinion, and certainly the most effective CAS airframe ever built.
The U.S. Air Force has now ended the training of new A-10C Thunderbolt II pilots, in another step towards the retirement of the aircraft. In fact, on Apr. 3, 2026, the 357th Fighter Squadron graduated the last class of A-10 student pilots at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona.
So they’re ending the program because the AF wants sexy jets to fly. Or maybe not.
The US Air Force is extending the service life of the decades-old A-10 “Warthog” until at least 2030, again pushing back the attack aircraft’s retirement following heavy combat use against Iran.
Air Force Secretary Troy Meink shared the news in a social media post on Monday. He said the decision “preserves combat power as the Defense Industrial Base works to increase combat aircraft production.” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth wrote in response: “Long live the Warthog.”
Who knows, but it doesn’t seem like they have their ducks in a row.
I can tell you this much. When my son was in Fallujah he was saved more times than he could count by A-10s. They weren’t allowed to do gun-runs into Fallujah, but in their operations near the Euphrates they were heavily used. He told me that nothing strikes fear into the heart of the enemy like hearing the sound of the A-10s and their guns, nothing gave hope to U.S. troops like seeing the A-10s come to help, and nothing was as “gay” as trying to use jets for CAS.
On April 27, 2026 at 7:35 pm, Dan said:
The Warthog has proven, repeatedly, over the decades it is unsurpassed at close air support. But for some unfathomable reason AF Brass morons want to get rid of it. We should sentence these same morons to be on the front lines danger close and tell them the only support they get is from an unsuitable platform….like the F 35.
No platform lives forever and eventually the A10 will no longer be flyable. The military needs to start planning NOW for a replacement. One at least as capable. And if the AF won’t cooperate then let the Army do it. They want the A10 even if the AF doesn’t.
On April 27, 2026 at 8:46 pm, X said:
Effective CAS airframe? Hell, yeah. Beautiful? Meh… beauty is in the eye of the beholder. It’s beautiful from a functional and utilitarian point of view, but aesthetics…? Eh.
On April 27, 2026 at 9:31 pm, Georgiaboy61 said:
If the USAF doesn’t want the A-10, then detach the Thunderbolt II units from the Air Force and attach them to the Army and Marine Corps. The Air Force has been complaining about having to do close air support at least since the Korean War – so fine, if they don’t want that mission, let the grunts have it. They know how valuable an air-frame the A-10 is, and will make proper use of it.
The A-10 Thunderbolt II represents one of the best per dollar values in the history of military aviation procurement – and is deservedly a legend – so naturally, that means the USAF brass are trying to kill it.
How about this for an idea: Fire the generals who are too foolish to recognize what an important weapons system this is, and keep the A-10 in production instead!
Getting back to taking the A-10s from the USAF and giving them to the Army and Marine Corps, I don’t know if that will violate the Key West agreement, but at this point, I don’t even care. And neither should the grunts. This is about keeping ground troops alive. The feelings of the USAF brass are secondary.