An A-10C Thunderbolt II is shown prior to divestment at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona, on Tuesday. Aircraft 82-648 was retired from service and transited to the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group for storage purposes. [Courtesy: U.S. Air Force]
Key Takeaways:
Davis-Monthan Air Force Base has begun retiring its A-10 Thunderbolt II "Warthog" attack aircraft, sending them to the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group (the "boneyard") located at the base.
This action is part of the Air Force's broader plan to fully retire the A-10 fleet by 2029, with personnel transitioning to the F-35 aircraft.
The A-10, which first arrived at the base in 1976, is lauded for its unique close air support and "tank buster" capabilities, notably its 30mm GAU-8/A rotary cannon, making it a symbol of the base and vital for ground forces.
Nearly five decades after first arriving, Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona, has started sending its aging fleet of A-10 Thunderbolt II attack aircraft to the “boneyard.”
The move comes as pilots and maintainers at the air base look to transition to the F-35, and the service plans to retire its entire fleet of the aircraft known as the Warthog by 2029.
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