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 plans to accelerate the retirement of its entire A-10 Thunderbolt II (Warthog) fleet, aiming for phase-out by 2027, supported by a President Donald Trump budget request.
The A-10 fleet is between 40-50 years old, and its replacement by the F-35 is controversial due to the Warthog's unique close air support capabilities.
While Air Force leadership cites the A-10's vulnerability to modern air defenses, proponents argue the F-35 cannot match its combat role 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.