A Single A-10 Warthog Aircraft Is Wildly Expensive, But That’s Not The Worst Part
As if shooting down a military aircraft wasn’t bad enough, the US also lost two aircraft on the same day in its ongoing war with Iran. The A-10 Thunderbolt II, the second aircraft hit by enemy fire on April 3, was in the midst of searching for the crew of an Air Force F-15E aircraft shot down earlier that day. Fortunately, the pilot of the single-seat A-10 was rescued, but the aircraft itself became the last casualty in the Iran conflict. Considering the cost of the A-10, this is no small loss for the United States. To make matters worse, the A-10 Thunderbolt II has limited stock. commonly known by his nickname WarthogBecause new ones are not made anymore.
The A-10 Warthog first rolled off the assembly line in the 1970s. At the time, the Air Force hoped to limit the cost of the aircraft to $15 million per unit when building the first 600 aircraft. However, this figure is in 1970s money; today it would be close to $120 million for each A-10. The math gets even more complicated when you consider that the Warthog shot down in the Strait of Hormuz actually cost more than that, because every A-10 currently in service has been upgraded over the years.
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Newer weapons and other modern features added to the cost of each A-10
A-10 Warthog in flight – Staff Sgt. Justin Parsons/US Air Force
A big factor in the A-10 Thunderbolt II’s cost is its armament. Perhaps the Warthog’s most distinctive feature is its massive 30mm, 7-barreled Gatling gun, which accounts for 16% of the aircraft’s total weight. Originally built by General Electric Warthog’s Gatling gun is now manufactured by General Dynamics and can fire 3,900 rounds per minute, or 65 rounds per second. Keeping the A-10 armed only increases its cost, as it can fire depleted uranium, armor-piercing and high-explosive/incendiary rounds very quickly.
But all the upgrades and retrofits the Warthog has undergone over the years are even more expensive, some of which even exceed the original cost of the plane. These upgrades include more powerful and advanced munitions such as precision-guided JDAMs, incendiary cluster bombs, AGM-65 and AIM-9 missiles, unguided and laser-guided rockets, and mine-delivery munitions. Newer defensive measures such as infrared countermeasure flares, electronic countermeasure chaffs, jamming pods, and illumination flares also increase the Warthog’s overall cost.
The A-10 has had significant upgrades as recently as 2014, including more advanced communications systems, night vision systems, and a digital situational awareness panel in the cockpit. Only in the last few years have Warthog pilots begun using expensive HObIT (Hybrid Optical Based Inertial Tracker) sights, which are mounted on their helmets and can target 6 to 18 targets simultaneously. Another expensive upgrade to the Warthog is a new pair of wings, each costing an average of $6.4 million to $7 million. These new wings were added to the remaining flying A-10s in the Air Force fleet. Approximately 162 of these Warthogs are still in service, and that number is dwindling.
A new A-10 Warthog hasn’t been built in over 40 years
A-10 Warthog landing on highway – Master Sgt. Scott Thompson/US Air Force
Besides its high cost, losing a Warthog in battle is a big deal because there are so many animals to go around. The last A-10 Thunderbolt II was produced in 1984, more than four decades ago. As previously mentioned, approximately 162 Warthogs of the original 713 (designated A-10C because they were upgraded) continue to fly. Despite limited supply, the Air Force still has no definitive plans to replace the A-10.
One reason for this is that despite its age, the A-10 is still a very formidable aircraft. Thanks to all its expensive upgrades, Incredible capabilities of the A-10 Warthog making it a key component of America’s air power, which is crucial in the current geopolitical environment. Although originally designed and built as a countermeasure against powerful Soviet tanks, the heavily armed, all-weather, ground attack/close air support (CAS) aircraft has many use cases.
But in the end, no amount of upgrades will make up for its age. The US Air Force has made clear its desire to retire the aircraft and direct its budget towards the more modern F-35 Lightning II. That didn’t happen because the A-10 is still a really good fighter plane. But eventually something will have to replace it; There are a limited number of them, especially as the Wild Boar recently shot down by Iranian forces reminds us.
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