A-10 Warthogs are ‘in the fight’ against Iran and hunting down its fast-attack boats, top US general says

• Air Force A-10 Thundebolt II attack aircraft (commonly referred to as Warthogs) are currently chasing Iranian boats in the Strait of Hormuz.

• US forces are trying to reopen the strait after Iran disrupted crude oil shipments through the critical waterway.

• The Air Force is pushing for the Warthog’s retirement, deeming the aircraft obsolete for a war with China.

US Air Force A-10 Warthogs chased Iranian fast attack boats in the Strait of Hormuz, the top US general said on Thursday.

At a news conference Thursday, Air Force Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, discussed operational updates as the conflict enters its third week, explaining: A-10 Thunderbolt II attack aircraft “They’re in a fight now.”

He said these planes were “hunting down and killing fast attack boats in the Strait of Hormuz.” Caine added that US forces were flying into eastern Iranian airspace, targeting Iran’s one-way attack drone centers.

Tehran has disrupted the flow of crude oil through the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow strip of water that connects the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman and provides access to the Arabian Sea and beyond. Bosphorus is one of them The world’s busiest oil shipping routes. Severe outage led to serious consequences increase in crude oil prices.

U.S. officials have said Iran is using ships such as fast attack boats to plant naval mines in the strait, threatening ships passing through the waterway.

The A-10 Warthog’s role in combat coincides with a planned retirement period that the Air Force is accelerating from late this decade through fiscal 2026. But for now, more than 160 Warthogs remain in service.

The A-10, more commonly known as the Warthog, is a close air support aircraft introduced in the 1970s; It was designed as a tank killer that could blunt the Soviet armored attack. Although it carries rockets, missiles and bombs, the aircraft is best known for its 30 mm GAU-8 Avenger seven-barreled Gatling-style autocannon.

Air Force leadership previously said: A-10 retirement It is necessary because “aircraft cannot deter or survive our speed problem,” referring to China. The service is seeking F-35A Lightning II stealth fighters to fulfill A-10 missions.

During the Pentagon’s Operation Epic Rage update, Caine also said: AH-64 Apache attack helicopters They “joined the battle on the southern flank,” including helicopters flown by U.S. allies, “to handle one-way attack drones.”

He added that Apache helicopters also hit Iran-affiliated militia groups in Iraq to suppress threats to the United States in the country.

Similar to Warthogs, US military leaders proposed: Apache losing its edge.

Last year, the Army’s deputy chief of staff for operations, plans and training said the Delta variant was no longer “a war-winning capability that we can fight and win today.” He said that even the more advanced Echos were “at the peak of their abilities, and we don’t see them contributing to the fight the way they maybe did in the past.”

The military is significantly reevaluating the role of crewed helicopters and is exploring ways to reduce the number of crewed assets and replace them with a larger number of uncrewed combat platforms.

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