Why Not Send the A-10  to Ukraine?

By Maya Carlin, Warrior Contributor, Weapons

Why Won’t the A-10 Warthog Ever Go Away? Following years of debate, Congress has finally approved a U.S. Air Force plan to begin the retirement process for its fleet of A-10 Thunderbolts.

Since these formidable ground-attack airframes represent the only aircraft flown by the U.S. military designed specifically for close air support, Congress has been reluctant to approve their decommissioning.

The Thunderbolts were instrumental assets to America’s counterinsurgency efforts in Afghanistan and Iraq for nearly two decades.

However, since the U.S. no longer has large units of ground forces deployed in those theaters, the need for the Thunderbolts’ extended use is dwindling.

Regardless of the A-10’s eventual retirement timeline, the plane will always retain its legendary status.

Introducing the A-10 Thunderbolt II “Warthog”

Designed as a World War II-era fighter bomber, the Warthog has been dubbed the ‘titanium bathtub.’

The nickname stems from titanium reinforced armor all around the cockpit to protect the crew from ground fire when they perform strafing runs against adversarial targets.