The A-10 Warthog Is Retiring: Article Summary and Key Details – The U.S. Air Force is seeking to accelerate the retirement of its entire fleet of 162 A-10 “Warthog” ground-attack aircraft, aiming to phase them out by 2026, years ahead of the previously planned schedule.
-This move is part of a larger plan to divest nearly 340 older aircraft—including F-15s and F-16s—to free up funds for modernization efforts under the direction of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
-The A-10, while a beloved and combat-proven “tank killer,” is seen by Air Force leadership as too vulnerable to survive in a modern, contested battlespace against a peer adversary like China.
The A-10 Warthog Can’t Beat Old Age
One of the most beloved and battle-proven warplanes in the United States Air Force arsenal is the Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II ground attack/close air support (CAS) aircraft. Though officially named for another legendary warbird, the P-47 Thunderbolt (aka the “T-Bolt,” “Jug,” “Flying Bathtub”) of World War II, the Thunderbolt II is far better known to its crews and the general public alike as the “ A-10 Warthog.”
The Warthog celebrated its 50th birthday in 2022. It captured the imagination during its first “blooding” in combat during the 1991 Persian Gulf War AKA Operation Desert Storm.
The plane continued to prove its worth during the Global Terror on Terror (GWOT) in Iraq and Afghanistan alike, repeatedly demonstrating its ability not just to dish out punishment but also to absorb tremendous amounts and keep on flying (just ask one of its most famous pilots, Col. [USAF, Ret.] Kim “KC” [as in “Killer Chick”] Campbell).
However, despite its effectiveness—and over the objections of many Members of Congress who aren’t convinced that the plane has outlived its usefulness—the USAF is retiring the A-10 Warthog.
That retirement party has been taking place rather gradually, commencing in 2023.
However, there’s a distinct possibility that the remaining 162 Warthogs in the fleet (out of 716 airframes built initially) will be completed sooner rather than later, as in next year.
A-10: The Basics
The latest news comes to us courtesy of an anonymous journalist with the pseudonym “Redacción” (Spanish for “Redaction”) in a 30 June 2025 article for Zona Militar titled “The U.S. Air Force is aiming to accelerate the full retirement of all its A-10 Warthog attack aircraft by the year 2026.“
As the author states in the opening paragraph, “These units are part of a total of 340 aircraft the service seeks to phase out in the near future. This plan also includes the cancellation of several key programs in order to avoid further cost increases and scheduling delays, such as the case of the E-7 Wedgetail program.”
If this plan comes to fruition, it will represent one of the most significant fleet reductions in recent years. Of course, it all hinges upon approval by the US Congress. In light of the aforementioned congressional resistance to the A-10’s retirement in the first place, that approval is certainly not a given.
Big Picture Considerations: The Why and the Wherefore, and Dollars & Sense
This accelerated timeframe for the Warthog’s phaseout is likely being spurred by US Secretary of Defense (SECDEF) Pete Hegseth, who suggested cutting and reallocating up to 8 percent of defense funding; in turn, this prompted a reassessment of sustaining older platforms currently operated by the Air Force.
To put that in further numerical perspective, the Pentagon has drafted a budget proposal that would allocate a total of $249.5 billion to the Air Force in Fiscal Year 2026—a 17 percent increase compared to the budget designated for FY 2025.
“However,” as Redacción adds, “if Congress fails to pass a reconciliation bill that would inject around $24.7 billion for the Air Force and $13.8 billion for the Space Force, the institution’s budget would remain at levels similar to the current fiscal year, with all the implications that entails.”
Additional Aircraft Slated for the USAF Chopping Block
The Warthog isn’t the only time-honored aircraft that the Air Force is planning to put out to proverbial pasture.
The above-cited 340 aircraft figure also includes:
–62 General Dynamics (later Lockheed Martin) F-16C/D Fighting Falcon fighters
–13 McDonnell Douglas (later Boeing) F-15C/D Eagle fighters
–21 F-15E Strike Eagles (the two-seater version)
–14 Lockheed Martin C-130H Hercules transport aircraft
–Three EC-130H Compass Call electronic warfare aircraft
— 14 Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker aerial refuelers
–35 Beechcraft T-1 Texan trainers
–One Rockwell B-1B Lancer (aka the “Bone” [as in “B-One”]) strategic bomber
–15 helicopters (specific make[s] and model[s] not provided)
A-10 Headed to Other Nations
It’s unclear from Redacción’s article whether these soon-to-be retired warbirds will be sold to allied nations or simply consigned to the famous “Boneyard” (officially the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group [AMARG])at Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona (in the vicinity of Tucson).
The author concludes the piece by noting that “Notably absent from this list—despite being featured in similar proposals in recent years—are the well-known Block 20 F-22 fighters.”
This isn’t so surprising, because even though then-SECDEF Bob Gates prematurely killed production of the Raptor in 2009, it remains quite viable and relevant as a 5th Generation stealth fighter.
About the Author: Christian D. Orr, Defense Expert
Christian D. Orr is a Senior Defense Editor. He is a former Air Force Security Forces officer, Federal law enforcement officer, and private military contractor (with assignments worked in Iraq, the United Arab Emirates, Kosovo, Japan, Germany, and the Pentagon). Chris holds a B.A. in International Relations from the University of Southern California (USC) and an M.A. in Intelligence Studies (concentration in Terrorism Studies) from American Military University (AMU).
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mike shelton
July 6, 2025 at 8:47 pm
I hope Congress gets its way. Effectiveness and simplicity win over age. Keep the Warthog.