The development marks the latest chapter in a long-running debate over the aircraft’s future, which first entered service in 1976.
- The extension preserves combat capability, the US Air Force secretary said.
- Arizona Senator Mark Kelly has campaigned to prevent the A-10’s retirement.
- However, the US Air Force has warned that keeping the A-10 fleet in service strains resources needed to maintain newer aircraft.
The US Air Force has extended the service life of its A-10 “Warthog” attack aircraft until 2030, even as the ageing platform remains linked to recent combat operations in the Strait of Hormuz, where one aircraft was reportedly lost in disputed circumstances during heightened tensions with Iran.
Air Force Secretary Troy Meink announced the extension, saying it would preserve combat capability while the defence industrial base increases production of newer aircraft.
The decision comes against the backdrop of an earlier A-10 loss in the region, which Iranian authorities claimed was a shootdown, while US officials described it as a crash, with the cause still under investigation.
“We will EXTEND the A-10 ‘Warthog’ platform to 2030,” Air Force Secretary Troy Meink posted on social media, adding that the move “preserves combat power as the Defence Industrial Base works to increase combat aircraft production.”
The development marks the latest chapter in a long-running debate over the aircraft’s future. First flown in 1976, the A-10 has faced potential retirement for more than two decades.
The aircraft has reportedly been used in the ongoing conflict with Iran, according to US Central Command, with its cannon-equipped platform said to have been deployed against Iranian vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.
While some US Air Force officials argue the A-10 is outdated, slow, and costly to maintain—suggesting its retirement would free resources for modernisation programmes such as hypersonic weapons—critics warn that removing it without a replacement could weaken close air support for ground troops.
Despite repeated efforts to phase it out, the A-10 has remained in service, aided in part by political support. The largest share of the fleet is based at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, Arizona, where it plays a significant role in the local economy. The Air Force is also among the state’s top employers, and Arizona remains a key battleground in US elections.
In 2021, Arizona Senator Mark Kelly successfully pushed back against a Biden administration plan to retire dozens of the aircraft, inserting language into defence legislation that blocked the move. He argued that the fleet should not be cut without a suitable replacement for the close air support role.
Air Force officials have also warned that maintaining the ageing fleet strains mechanics and resources needed for newer aircraft.
The latest extension indicates those concerns have, for now, once again been outweighed by the need to preserve combat capability.
