An U.S. Air Force A-10 Thunderbolt II flies over Southwest Asia in support of Operation Inherent Resolve, Oct. 29, 2015. US Air Force
Popular Mechanics: Air Force Will Lose More Than a Third of A-10s If the Planes Don't Get New Wings
The service seems determined to send the A-10 Warthog to the boneyard.
More than a third of the U.S. Air Force’s fleet of A-10 Warthogs will end up permanently grounded if the service doesn’t find the money to buy them new wings, and the senior civilian in charge of the A-10 says that’s not going to happen. Such a decision would be another nail in the coffin of the beloved close air support aircraft, which the service has been trying to retire for nearly three decades.
The A-10 Warthog was first introduced in the late 1970s to counter Soviet tank formations that threatened to steamroll Western Europe. While the A-10 never flew in combat over Germany, it has flown thousands of combat missions in Iraq and Afghanistan. The heavily armed, heavily armored twin-engine jet is a favorite of the ground troops, capable of laying down a protective barrage of cannon fire, rockets, missiles, and bombs.
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More News On The U.S. Air Force Still Wanting To Cut The A-10 Program
USAF Official in Charge of A-10s Says Re-Wing Program Is "Not Going to Happen" -- The Drive
The Air Force Is Slowly Killing Off the A-10 Warthog -- National Interest
Air Force snubs A-10 re-winging effort: POGO -- Flight Global
Is The Air Force Still Secretly Plotting To Kill The A-10 Warthog? -- Task & Purpose