The legendary A-10 Thunderbolt II will remain in service with the U.S. Air Force until at least 2030 under new plans announced by the Secretary of the Air Force.
This new announcement changes plans to completely phase out the A-10 platform, colloquially known as Warthog, by fiscal year 2029.
The current extension period runs until 2030, but it is reported that two of the A-10 squadrons will be maintained so far, and the other squadron will be extended until 2029. The Air Force previously favored a much faster drawdown of A-10 operations and even called for retiring the entire fleet in its 2026 budget proposal, which was later overruled by Congress.
In consultation with @SecWarWe will expand the A-10 “Warthog” platform through 2030. This preserves combat power as the defense industrial base works to increase fighter jet production.
thank you @Potters Thank you for your unwavering support of our warfighters and for your quick and decisive… pic.twitter.com/zn1l3OshdY
— Office of the Secretary of the Air Force (@SecAFOfficial) April 20, 2026
There has been a big change compared to last year. The Air Force sought to retire the last of its A-10 Warthog fleet in its FY2026 budget request. Congress blocked the NDAA, prohibiting the aircraft inventory from being reduced below 103 aircraft. https://t.co/gOzGtQ6rI9
— Briana Riley (@briana_reilly) April 20, 2026
Under previous plans, the A-10 airframe could theoretically be maintained into the 2040s, but even if further expansion beyond 2030 were permitted, it is unlikely that either squadron would be able to sustain expansion of that length without reintroducing support and training pipelines that have already been withdrawn. The last class of A-10 pilots graduated earlier this month.
Brian Everstine, Pentagon Editor-in-Chief aviation weekAccording to reports, the units extended through 2030 include one active-duty unit at Moody AFB and one reserve unit at Whiteman AFB. The second Moody division is scheduled to operate until 2029.
The Air Force announced today that it will expand its fleet of three A-10s.
According to the military, one Moody active-duty squadron and one Whiteman reserve squadron will be added by 2030, and another Moody squadron will be added by 2029. pic.twitter.com/pNrdLnWk15
— Brian Everstein (@beverstine) April 20, 2026
The Warthog has long been criticized for being vulnerable in modern high-level combat due to its low and slow performance characteristics, making it vulnerable to many types of anti-aircraft weapons. However, in recent years the aircraft has developed new capabilities that allow it to serve as a capable drone interceptor and precision strike platform.
During Operation Epic Fury, the A-10 was used extensively to target Iran-backed militias operating in Iraq and Syria, freeing up more survivable platforms for high-risk missions in Iranian airspace itself. A-10s appear to have seen action directly against Iran itself on some occasions, including as part of combat search and rescue efforts for a downed F-15E Strike Eagle. During this mission, one A-10 was lost to enemy fire, but the pilot was able to eject safely over friendly airspace.
A USAF A-10 Wild Boar shot down low over Iraq this morning. pic.twitter.com/SOWSEZV37d
— OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) March 25, 2026
As previously reported, a modification to the A-10 has recently been developed and tested, allowing refueling from hose- and drogue-equipped aircraft. This helps alleviate the fact that the KC-46 has not yet been cleared to refuel the A-10 and the various requirements for the A-10’s aerial refueling process that complicate the KC-135’s mixed receiver sorties.
We and others have speculated that such a modification would not have been developed if rapid decline of the A-10 had still been in the cards.
This is a new news article and this article will be updated as more information becomes available.
