Air Force Looking to Speed Up Retirement of A-10

New budget calls for complete phaseout of ‘Warthog’ in 2027.

Zach Vasile

Friday, June 27, 2025 at 03:17 PM ET

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Edited By:

Travis Tingle

An A-10 Thunderbolt II [Credit: U.S. Air Force]

Key Takeaways:

The U.S. Air Force is accelerating plans to retire the entire A-10 Thunderbolt II (Warthog) fleet by 2027, with a $57 million budget request for FY2026 to support this phase-out.
This expedited retirement, a priority under President Trump's administration, is primarily driven by the A-10's age (40-50 years) and its perceived vulnerability to modern air defense systems.
The plan to replace the A-10 with the F-35 is controversial, as critics contend the F-35 cannot match the Warthog's close air support capabilities and highlight the F-35's higher production and operating costs.

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The U.S. Air Force is reportedly speeding up plans to retire the Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II, better known as the “Warthog,” and could phase out the entire fleet by 2027.

According to FlightGlobal, President Donald Trump’s budget request for the 2026 fiscal year includes $57 million to support the retirement of all 162 remaining Air Force Warthogs. The outlet cited senior Pentagon officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity.