- A-10 Warthog attack planes are getting a new mission in the Middle East and more bombs.
- The aircraft are getting a software update to give it more firepower, Defense One reported.
- Air Force leadership has been trying for years to retire its aging fleet of Warthogs.
The US Air Force is giving some of its A-10 Thunderbolt II attack aircraft a new mission and arming them with a lot more bombs, even as the service leadership tries to retire the aging planes.
A squadron of A-10s — decades-old aircraft commonly known as Warthogs — is getting a software update that will allow the planes to nearly triple their bomb loadout, according to a new report from Defense One. The squadron has been sent to the Middle East, where it will help bring additional combat airpower to US forces in the region.
It's not immediately clear how many A-10s are being sent to the Middle East, as squadrons can vary in size.
Their new mission comes after a recent spike in tensions between US armed forces and Iran-backed militias in Syria. An exchange of fire in late March left several US troops injured, killed an American contractor, and left local militia fighters dead.
Lt. Gen. Alexus Grynkewich, the commander of US Air Forces Central Command, told Defense One in an interview this week that the modifications the attack aircraft are receiving will allow the Warthogs to carry up to 16 GBU-39B Small Diameter Bombs. These guided air-to-surface munitions, which can hit fixed and stationary targets, weigh 250 pounds and have a range of over 46 miles, according to an Air Force fact sheet.
"They're really here as a message to both assure our partners … but also as … a true capability that can work against some of the threats that we face with respect to Iran," Grynkewich told Defense One. "It's a really good additive capability for the region," he said. "What we have now allows us to maintain a reasonable, sustainable and sufficient posture."
The A-10 is a powerful ground-attack aircraft that is equipped with a GAU-8 Avenger 30-mm rotary cannon capable of firing 3,900 rounds per minute. The twin-engine plane — which costs just under $10 million — has been in service since the late 1970s, and has combat experience in various conflicts across the Middle East. Built to carry out close-air-support missions, the Warthog can conduct attacks against ground units like armored vehicles and tanks.
The ground-attack plane is sometimes referred to as a flying cannon and is famous for the loud sound the gun makes when fired.
And though it still has its uses, Air Force leadership has tried for years to retire the A-10, but its efforts were repeatedly blocked by Congress. In late 2022, lawmakers eventually caved and allowed the service to retire 21 Warthogs — cutting the fleet down to 260 aircraft.
And that number could plummet even further. A Department of the Air Force Posture Statement detailing its 2024 fiscal year budget proposal requests that Congress allows for the retirement of 42 additional A-10s since, arguing this plane "does not deter or survive against our pacing challenge, and we need to move forward."
Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall delivered testimony to lawmakers on Thursday and outlined why the service would like to divest from some of its programs. The A-10, Kendall said, is "over 40 years old. It was, in its time, a great aircraft — it served us well. I was an advocate for that program for a long time, but it doesn't scare China."
Military predictions tend to assess that in a war with a major power like China, American forces would likely lack the ability to carry out the same kind of combat air operations that the US military has been able to conduct during conflicts in the Middle East.