US Air Force says key Iran warplane, the A-10 Warthog, will live on to 2030
by Mike Stone
WASHINGTON, April 20 (Reuters) – The U.S. Air Force secretary has extended the life of the A-10 “Warthog” attack plane to 2030, saving the aging but beloved “close air support” aircraft that plays a key role in Iran from an earlier retirement date of 2026.
“We will extend the A-10 ‘Warthog’ platform through 2030,” Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink said on social media, adding that the move “will maintain combat power as the Defense Industrial Base works to increase fighter jet production.”
The decision is the latest chapter in a long-running battle over the fate of the plane, which first flew in 1976 and has been a Pentagon target for more than two decades. According to US Central Command, the A-10 has been used in the current conflict with Iran. According to reports, its powerful nose-mounted guns were used against Iranian ships in the Strait of Hormuz.
Some in the Air Force have long argued that the Warthog is too old, too slow and too expensive to maintain, and that retiring it would free up money for modernization priorities such as the development of hypersonic weapons. Critics warned that cutting the fleet without a suitable replacement would leave ground troops without adequate air support.
But the A-10 proved nearly impossible to kill, largely due to its political staying power. The fleet’s largest concentration is at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, Arizona, contributing to the local economy. The Air Force is among the region’s top employers. Arizona is a battleground state that has become increasingly influential in deciding US presidential races.
In 2021, Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly successfully opposed the Biden administration’s proposal to retire dozens of aircraft, securing language in defense legislation preventing any retirements. Kelly argued that aircraft should not be cut down without a suitable spare part to perform the close air support mission.
Air Force officials also warned that keeping the entire fleet would strain the supply of mechanics needed to maintain the new planes.
The latest extension shows that these concerns have taken a backseat to maintaining combat capacity for now.
(Reporting by Mike Stone in Washington; Editing by Chris Sanders)
