The US Air Force (USAF) has long planned to retire the A-10 Thunderbolt II, popularly known as the Warthog, to free up resources for more modern platforms. However, the aircraft’s deployment in support of “Operation Epic Fury” has prompted experts to rally behind the aircraft.
The service planned to retire its entire fleet of A-10 Warthog aircraft by the end of Fiscal Year 2026, two years ahead of schedule. In fact, the USAF’s 2026 spending package included a request for US$57 million to retire all 162 remaining A-10s.
However, the US Congress once again showed reluctance to retire the A-10, and the National Defence Authorisation Act (NDAA) of December 2025 rejected the plan to retire all 162 A-10 aircraft while strictly prohibiting the use of FY2026 funding to retire, prepare to retire, or divest A-10s below a fleet of 103 aircraft at least until 30 September 2026.
Months later, military experts believe that the A-10’s deployment to West Asia in support of Operation Epic Fury should serve as a wake-up call for USAF officials and lawmakers who support the aircraft’s divestment.
The A-10s are bombarding boats in the Straits of Hormuz, which is under a de facto closure enforced by Iran since the beginning of the conflict.
“The A-10 Warthog is now in the fight across the southern flank and is hunting and killing fast-attack watercraft in the Straits of Hormuz,” General Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, announced last week.
The A-10 was designed specifically for close air support (CAS), enabling extended loiter times by flying at low altitudes and slow speeds. However, it is this exact capability that makes it perfect for maritime utility, as it helps spot and pursue the watercraft used by Iran to target commercial ships transiting through the strategic Strait of Hormuz, which handles 20% of global oil shipments daily.
The US military has been working to give the Warthogs a maritime role for quite some time. For instance, the USAF and Navy announced in early February that A-10s were preparing for a close air support mission for the littoral combat ship USS Santa Barbara in the Arabian Gulf as part of the force buildup ahead of Operation Epic Fury.
Besides chasing Iranian vessels, the A-10 has also served as a counter-drone platform.
Earlier this month, the US CENTCOM published photos of the A-10 on X, stating that the aircraft “can loiter for hours, standing by and ready to execute a mission whenever needed.” At the time, the aircraft was known to be striking Iran-linked militias in neighbouring Iraq, and was spotted with the APKWS II for swatting down Iranian drones, as noted by the EurAsian Times.
Iran’s Shahed-class drones are often too slow and too numerous when they swarm, which is why fighter jets typically have trouble detecting them or matching their speed.
This is where the A-10’s design and features provide an advantage. The aircraft can loiter, use a pod or cues to visually identify targets, and then launch inexpensive rockets without depleting expensive missile stocks. Moreover, by combining drone hunting with traditional military strikes on the same sortie, it offers continuous overwatch in permissive airspace.
Adding to this, the A-10s’ now combat-tested maritime role further strengthens the argument that they are more useful than the USAF would like to admit.
“The longer the A-10 exists, the more impressed I am with that aircraft,” said Dan Grazier, a Stimson Centre senior fellow and the director of its national-security reform program, speaking to Defence One. “It’s just proof positive that when you design a weapon system that is stripped down, and all the decisions that were made in the course of its design were all made for matters of military effectiveness, you get a really effective aircraft.”
Notably, the aircraft has taken part in almost every major US conflict since the 1980s, including the Gulf War, the Balkan Wars, the Afghanistan War, and in Iraq and Syria as well. Following its success in Operation Desert Storm in Iraq, the aircraft was given several nicknames, including “Warthog.”
Subsequent governments have nonetheless contended that the A-10 had to be retired to shift its focus from Middle East deployments to competition with China and Russia.
Interestingly, the F-35 was previously considered a suitable replacement for close air support (CAS), but a document obtained by the Project on Government Oversight revealed that internal tests cast doubt on its suitability for CAS.
It is believed that despite being more advanced, high-speed jets or stealth platforms cannot match the A-10’s ability to get low, slow, and precise in maritime or littoral environments without burning excessive fuel. Moreover, the A-10’s extended loiter time and rugged design enable it to absorb damage and remain in the fight, which is essential for overwatch in semi-permissive airspace like the Persian Gulf.
The A-10’s real-world performance against boats, drones, and ground threats in the Middle East proves it remains highly relevant for the kinds of conflicts the US actually fights most often. Experts argue that retiring the aircraft without finding a dedicated, affordable CAS successor risks leaving ground forces with gaps in persistent support, especially when expensive stealth jets or drones aren’t the optimal tool in those operations.
The stellar performance displayed by the aircraft comes as the NDAA requires Air Force Secretary Troy Meink to give Congress “a briefing on the status of A-10 aircraft inventory and the proposed plan for divesting all A-10 aircraft before fiscal year 2029” later this month.
It remains to be seen whether the Warthog’s anti-drone and anti-drone boat roles will help it stay in the skies longer, or if the aircraft will disappear from the USAF ranks before the end of this decade.
A-10 Warthogs Are No Ordinary Jets
During the stressful Cold War era, the A-10, inducted into the USAF in 1976, was designed for close air support (CAS), providing unparalleled precision and durability in targeting tanks, armoured vehicles, and ground forces.
The most notable feature of A-10s is General Electric’s GAU-8 30mm rotary cannon. Mounted on its nose, the Gatling gun is a one-of-a-kind weapon. Its rapid bursts, seven barrels firing 65 rounds per second, have turned “an enemy soldier’s bowels to water.”
As per reports, the A-10 specifications team interviewed every pilot who flew during the Vietnam War and a forward air controller. They all prioritised long loiter time, good range, excellent visibility, low-and-slow manoeuvrability, survivability, and lethal weapons. Thus came the A-10 Thunderbolt II, which valued “resiliency” and “function” over all else.
The A-10 flew for the first time on May 10, 1972, as the Vietnam War was winding down.
The A-10’s sturdy design, including a titanium-armoured cockpit, allows it to withstand significant combat damage. It can operate at low altitudes, loiter in the air for extended periods of time, and sustain direct hits from armour-piercing and high-explosive munitions.
Notably, its low-flying, slow-speed characteristics, remarkable air-to-ground precision, and loitering capability make it a highly effective force-protection platform. It can fire up to 3,900 rounds per minute using high-explosive incendiary shells or armour-piercing depleted uranium. With remarkable accuracy, it can destroy main battle tanks from approximately 4,000 feet.
The aircraft has excellent manoeuvrability at low speeds and altitudes and the ability to operate from austere forward bases with minimal support.
Additionally, the A-10 is capable of launching rockets, bombs, and AGM-65 Maverick missiles, among other air-to-ground missiles.
To put things in perspective, the faster air superiority fighters are unable to fly slowly enough to study what they are hitting or choose their ground targets. Even the most sophisticated electro-optical targeting systems are unable to discriminate between friends and enemies in air-to-ground operations.
Additionally, the A-10 Warthogs are capable of short takeoff and landing (STOL). This increases the aircraft’s battlefield adaptability by enabling it to operate on short, rough runways.
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