The annual ritual of retiring the US ground attack aircraft A-10 has begun. Let us understand the context this time. If Congress sides with the Pentagon, which is not always the case, then the US Air Force budget for the next fiscal year should amount to $184.9 billion. This sum could receive a “bonus” of $24.7 billion if the so-called “budget reconciliation” bill (or “One Big Beautiful Bill Act”—OBBBA) is adopted.
To these $209.6 billion, one must add the $39.9 billion requested by the Pentagon for the US Space Force [including $13.8 billion under the OBBBA].
However, even though this windfall is significant, it is not enough to fund all US Air Force programs, especially since some are priorities, such as the purchase of B-21 Raider bombers, the development of the sixth-generation F-47 fighter, or the replacement of the Minuteman III strategic ballistic missile with the LGM-35A Sentinel. Hence, some decisions may seem radical.
Announced by Pete Hegseth, the head of the Pentagon, the cancellation of the purchase from Boeing of twenty-six E-7A Wedgetail early warning aircraft to replace the E-3 AWACS has been confirmed by the US Air Force. In the future, this capability should rely on E-2D Hawkeye aircraft as well as space-based assets developed under the AMTI (Air Moving Target Indicator) project.
Three reasons were given for this decision: delays in the program, the vulnerability of AWACS-type aircraft, and the price increase of an E-7A Wedgetail, which went from $588 million to $724 million.
Another measure under consideration: a significant reduction in the number of F-35A fighter-bombers to be ordered in 2026, from 44 to “only” 24 aircraft. The savings from this decision would allow funds to be redirected toward the development of the Block 4 version of this aircraft, as well as its operational sustainment (MCO).
At the same time, the US Air Force intends to emphasize orders of the F-15EX Eagle II, with twenty-one units to be acquired in 2026, backed by a $3.1 billion envelope.
Additionally, there is a plan to rationalize the various aircraft fleets. Thus, the following are slated for retirement: sixty-two F-16C/Ds, twenty-one F-15Es, thirteen F-15C/Ds, fourteen C-130H Hercules, three EC-130H Compass Call electronic warfare aircraft, fourteen KC-135 Stratotankers, and one B-1 Lancer bomber.
But the list does not end there. First discussed in the 2010s, the retirement of A-10 Warthog attack aircraft could become effective in 2026—at least if Congress members do not oppose it as they have in the past, believing this legendary aircraft could still be useful.
Indeed, it was still used as recently as last January, when US CENTCOM, the American command for the Middle East and Central Asia, launched airstrikes against ISIS positions in the Hamrin mountains of Iraq.
However, although designed around the 30 mm GAU-8 Avenger Gatling gun, capable of firing up to 3,900 rounds per minute to destroy Warsaw Pact armored columns during the Cold War, the A-10 is now considered by the US Air Force as unsuitable for contested environments.
“For future wars, we need aircraft that can perform multiple roles… And the utility of the A-10 is too limited. Commanders are no longer requesting it because it is a single-mission aircraft,” argued General Charles Brown, then Chief of Staff of the US Air Force in 2023. At the time, he advocated for a gradual retirement of the Warthog by 2030.
The A-10 Thunderbolt II, also known as the Warthog, is a twin-engine, single-seat attack aircraft that was developed by Fairchild Republic with the specific purpose of providing close air support (CAS) to ground forces. The A-10, which was introduced to the US Air Force in 1977, was constructed around the robust 30 mm GAU-8/A Avenger rotary cannon. This weapon is capable of firing up to 3,900 rounds per minute and is extremely effective against armored vehicles and tanks. It is exceptionally survivable, even after sustaining significant combat damage, due to the aircraft’s heavy armor, which includes approximately 1,200 pounds of titanium to safeguard the pilot and critical systems. Its large, straight wings enable it to operate from short and unprepared runways in close proximity to the front lines, and its rugged design enables it to maintain extended loiter times over the battlefield and perform exceptional low-speed maneuverability.
In addition to its primary weapon, the A-10 is capable of transporting up to 16,000 pounds of mixed ordnance, which includes AGM-65 Maverick missiles, AIM-9 Sidewinders, rockets, and explosives. It has demonstrated its value in numerous conflicts over the years, most notably during Operation Desert Storm, when it obtained a mission-capable rate of over 95% and played a critical role in the destruction of enemy armor. The aircraft has undergone substantial upgrades, with the most notable being the transition to the A-10C variant, which boasts sophisticated targeting pods, modern avionics, and digital weapons management systems. The A-10 is a preferred choice among ground forces due to its reliability, firepower, and capacity to provide precise, sustained support in high-threat environments, despite its age. Nevertheless, the US Air Force is currently evaluating the A-10 as less suitable for future disputed environments and is preparing to gradually retire it in favor of more versatile, multi-role aircraft.
According to Pentagon plans, the timeline is to be accelerated with the retirement of the last 162 A-10 Warthogs still in service. It remains to be seen whether Congress will approve… knowing that the close air support mission these aircraft have performed in recent years could be taken over by L3Harris OA-1K Skyraider II light attack aircraft ordered by the Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC).
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