How Long Will The A-10 Fly? Another 20 Years?

by Kris Osborn, President, Center for Military Modernization

(Washington DC) It is difficult to envision the existence of any combat aircraft as cherished, celebrated, and loved as the iconic A-10 Warthog. Not only has the aircraft performed famously in combat for decades, but the aircraft itself seems “alive” with a survival instinct as it has withstood years of Air Force attempts to retire the aircraft.

Keeping the A-10 from Extinction

Congressional and Pentagon advocates, including many combat-experienced ground troops saved by the A-10, have fought to ensure its continued and much-needed place in the Air Force fleet.

Its “flying-tank-like” titanium hull, built-in redundancy, 30mm cannon, and expansive weapons arsenal have distinguished the A-10 throughout decades of warfare. Even so, some might wonder if there will eventually become a point at which the famous Warthog does in fact become obsolete.

Perhaps considered differently, are there other aircraft such as high-speed, fixed-wing 4th- and 5th-generation jets capable of performing the Warthog’s missions in a comparable or more effective way? That has been the contention of some Pentagon and Air Force decision-makers in recent years, some of whom claim the F-35 is perhaps better positioned to absorb close-air-support (CAS) missions.

Pitting the A-10 Against the F-35

This question generated so much interest and debate that the Pentagon and Joint Program Office for the F-35 conducted an extensive “fly-off” or series of tests with both the A-10 and F-35 in an effort to discern which aircraft might be optimal for the CAS mission. 

Certainly, a high-speed F-35 would be maneuverable and less vulnerable to small arms fire, but just how much small arms fire could an F-35 withstand? That could be a concern, however, the range and fidelity of the F-35’s sensors may enable the aircraft to successfully perform the targeting and attack functions of CAS from much safer stand-off distances, enabling the aircraft to perform close air support combat missions from much higher altitudes.