Why the Air Force wants to retire its A-10 fleet early – and why it’s right to do so

The U.S. Air Force wants to send its remaining 162 A-10 Thunderbolt IIs to the boneyard in 2026; this would mark the end of this legendary air support jet’s service life that spanned nearly 50 years. Sending the Warthog, as the aircraft is affectionately called, out to pasture, the Air Force says, will free up funds for more modern and survivable aircraft, like the F-15EX and, to a lesser extent, the F-35, that can fly the Close Air Support (CAS) missions and also conduct other high end operations. 

The mighty A-10 was living on borrowed time, with plans already underway to retire the entire fleet before the close of the decade, but that timeline was more based on politics than operational needs. The Air Force has been trying to retire its A-10s for years now, but lawmakers have consistently rejected those efforts. Congress’ support for the aircraft was in no small part predicated on its popularity among infantry troops who regularly sing the Warthog’s praises as a vital close air support asset throughout the multi-decade spanning Global War on Terror. 

But despite the A-10’s massive 30mm GAU-8 Avenger rotary cannon and the jet’s legendary toughness, its detractors are quick to point out that the Warthog was really only valuable in these counter-terrorist operations because America was fighting against an adversary with no appreciable air power or air defenses. In a conflict against any adversary with even minor air defense capabilities, the low-and-slow flying A-10 would make for a very easy target. 

And despite the jet’s charm and popularity with troops, the truth is, popular perception of the Warthog’s close air support prowess doesn’t really match up with reality. 

Related: Why do some A-10s rock that fearsome shark teeth war paint?

Since 2001, A-10s have only flown about 20% of America’s close air support missions, with fighters like the F-15E Strike Eagle, F-16, and even the F-35 accounting for most of the rest. Of that 20% of CAS missions flown by Warthogs, only a fraction saw the jet’s legendary cannon being employed: Flying a giant machine gun straight at your adversary at low speed and low altitude while blasting a veritable laser beam of depleted uranium rounds at them may be objectively cool but it’s not usually the most effective way to conduct CAS missions. 

To that point, the small and nimble F-16 has just as many hardpoints as the A-10, while the F-15E and F-15EX have more. The A-10 does beat all of these aircraft in terms of loiter time, yet, fighters can cover more ground much more quickly and fly a wide variety of missions, not just close air support. And maybe most importantly, even non-stealth 4th generation fighters like the F-15 and F-16 are much more survivable in contested airspace than the flying tank that is the Warthog. 

So, while old timers are sure to lament the A-10s retirement, has exceeded its intended service life, and sometimes, things just have to change. 

But, whether or not that change comes hard and fast next year or will be more gradual is going to be hashed out among lawmakers in the days ahead.

Feature Image: U.S. Airmen salute U.S. Air Force Col. Scott Mills, 355th Wing commander, as he taxis an A-10C Thunderbolt II aircraft after his final flight at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona, June 30, 2025. Mills served as the 355th Wing commander for three years before moving on to work at the Pentagon as the Chief of Staff of the Air Force’s executive officer. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Devlin Bishop)

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