Summary and Key Points: In 2014, a company called the USA Firefighting Air Corps proposed converting retired A-10 Warthog ground-attack jets into aerial firefighting tankers, calling the concept the “Firehog.”
-The converted aircraft would fly low through smoke at night, drop retardant with precision, and refuel in midair — capabilities that sounded ideal for wildfire suppression. The proposal collapsed against basic physics.
An A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft from the 303rd Fighter Squadron, Whiteman Air Force Base, Mo., arrive at Bagram Air Field, Afghanistan, April 10, 2014. The arrival of the aircraft marks a transition from the 75th Fighter Squadron, Moody Air Force Base, Ga., to the 303rd Fighter Squadron, Whitman Air Force Base, Mo. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Vernon Young Jr.) VERNONYOUNGJR
Idaho National Guard pilots land A-10 Thunderbolt IIs after a flight mission near Gowen Field on March 15, 2023 with the Boise foothills in the background. (U.S. National Guard photo by Master Sgt. Becky Vanshur)
A Maryland Air National Guard A-10C Thunderbolt II, aircraft 702, from the 104th Fighter Squadron, flies through the air over Bollen Air-to-Ground Range, Fort Indiantown Gap, Pennsylvania, August 9, 2025. Family, friends and aviation enthusiasts attended the 104th Fighter Squadron Family Range Day to see the jets in action before the anticipated final divestment of the A-10C Thunderbolt II in September. (U.S. Air National Guard Photo by Airman 1st Class Sarah Hoover)
-The A-10’s GAU-8 30mm Gatling gun and its complete weapon system weigh 4,029 pounds. Remove the gun and the aircraft tips backward onto its tail without a jack stand underneath. Reworking the center of gravity for both loaded and empty flight conditions proved too expensive to justify alongside the C-130 MAFFS system already in service.
The A-10 Firehog Explained
With the remaining A-10 Warthog ground-support aircraft now set to retire in 2030, the iconic aircraft, which is extremely maneuverable at low speeds and low altitudes to ensure accurate weapons delivery, could have had a second career.
A company had an intriguing concept: converting the tank-busting A-10s into firefighting aircraft. Known as the “Firehog,” the concept never made it off the ground, but the idea behind the concept was intriguing.
However, the concept called for replacing the GAU-8 30mm Gatling gun with firefighting equipment, which wasn’t feasible and would have been costly to convert the A-10s into firefighting aircraft.
How About a Fire-Fighting Warthog?
The idea of replacing the BRRRT with “a Squirt” from an A-10 sounded great, but the details of making it happen would make it tough to see through.
The strong positives of the A-10, it flies low to the ground, it is slow, and is very maneuverable, would make it a natural for firefighting duties…or so it was thought.
A GAU-8 Avenger 30mm cannon in the nose of an A-10 Thunderbolt II, assigned to the 442d Fighter Wing, at Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri, April 9, 2021. The GAU-8 is a hydraulically-driven rotary autocannon capable of firing 3,900 rounds per minute with a variety of ammunition types for close air support missions. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Parker J. McCauley)
A-10 Warthog National Security Journal Photo.
A U.S. Air Force A-10 Thunderbolt II approaches a KC-135 Stratotanker for refueling over the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility, May 31, 2025. The KC-135 is the premier long-term aerial refueling capability for the U.S. Air Force, effectively providing fuel to fixed-wing aircraft operating with the USCENTCOM AOR. (U.S. Air Force Photo by Staff Sgt. John C.B. Ennis)
This discussion began in the 1990s and resurfaced in 2014. The A-10 was a favorite of the troops in Afghanistan because of the outstanding close air support it provided the troops on the ground in combat with the Taliban.
The Air Force announced that year that it would retire the Warthog, much to the chagrin of the troops it supported… and Congress. However, one company saw an opportunity to repurpose the aircraft for firefighting.
Converting The A-10 To A Close Air Support Aircraft For FIre Fighters
On September 10, 2014, a company called the USA Firefighting Air Corps presented a proposal to the Colorado State Legislature’s Wildfire Matters Review Committee.
The proposal called for USAFAC to collaborate with states to invest in developing an A-10-based air tanker while the states explore acquiring retired Warthogs from the Air Force.
The USAFAC also called for the development of long-term public-private partnership agreements to sustain the fire aviation program that they aimed to procure, convert, and operate the A-10 “Firehog.”
The Founder of the organization, Chris Olson, who was a member of the Visioning Subcommittee of Colorado’s Center of Excellence for Advanced Technology Aerial Firefighting, said the A-10 airtankers would provide much-needed ‘close air support’ for ground firefighters.
According to Olson, the converted A-10 airtankers would have superior maneuverability, speed, initial attack capacity, and pilot safety. He said the aircraft could fly very low, fly night missions, see through smoke, drop retardant with pinpoint accuracy, and even reload their 2,000-gallon retardant tanks in mid-air.
The A-10 Would Need to Be Totally Redesigned
The A-10 Warthog would have to be demilitarized first.
And the first order of business would be accounting for what makes the A-10 the A-10… its massive 30mm GAU Gatling gun that sticks out of the nose of the Hog. This awesome weapon is, unfortunately, completely useless for firefighting, and the aircraft is built around it, which would need to be replaced.
The weapons pylons on the wings would need to be removed. The internal fuel tanks would need to be rearranged to incorporate the liquid tanks for firefighting and/or retardant.
The iconic protuberance of the 30mm gun would be replaced by a refueling probe, allowing the aircraft to be refueled in mid-air.
USAFAC stated in its proposal that, “The airtanker can fly from the tanker base to a fire, drop its original liquid load, refill from an orbiting aircraft, and drop a second time in 15 minutes, refill in-flight and drop a third time in another 15 minutes, and then return to the tanker base for fuel and liquid in a total of 85 minutes.
“In other words, our new airtanker can deliver approximately 4500 gallons of liquid and be reloaded for takeoff from base in approximately the time it currently takes a common heavy airtanker to deliver 2500 gallons of liquid and reload.”
Issues With the Concept
The massive GAU 30mm gun weighs 620 pounds, and its complete weapon system—including the feed system, drum, and a full load of ammunition—weighs 4,029 pounds.
Removing the gun, such as during maintenance, will cause the aircraft to tip backward unless a jack stand is placed under the tail. That weight-and-balance issue would be a significant obstacle to overcome when converting it into an air tanker.
The titanium tub the pilot sits in would no longer be needed and would be removed. Engineers would have to rework the aircraft to maintain the center of gravity for the aircraft to fly empty and fully loaded.
The A-10 was given a second lease on life until 2030, at which time the F-15EX is expected to take over its close air support mission. The firefighting role for the A-10 sounded good on paper, but it was considered too expensive an undertaking, whereas the C-130 with the Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System, or MAFFS, is already in use. The program provides emergency capability to supplement existing commercial tanker support on wildland fires.
A U.S. Air Force F-15EX Eagle II fighter jet assigned to Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, flies near Jacksonville, Florida, Nov. 2, 2024. Airmen from the 40th Flight Test Squadron and 96th Aircraft Maintenance Unit supported a flyover for the annual Florida-Georgia college football game. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Blake Wiles)
An F-15EX Eagle II, assigned to the 142nd Wing, taxis on the flightline before take-off during the official Unveiling Ceremony for the new fighter jet at the Portland Air National Guard Base, Oregon on July 12, 2024. The 142nd Wing will be replacing the F-15 C/D model Eagles with the new F-15EX Eagle II models. (National Guard photo by John Hughel, Oregon Military Department Public Affairs)
Besides, no one wants to see an A-10 and then hear, “Squirt.” That scenario wouldn’t do at all.
About the Author: Steve Balestrieri
Steve Balestrieri is a National Security Columnist. He served as a US Army Special Forces NCO and Warrant Officer. In addition to writing on defense, he covers the NFL for PatsFans.com and is a member of the Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA). His work was regularly featured in many military publications.
