The US Air Force has extended the service life of its A-10 “Warthog” attack aircraft until 2030, even as the ageing platform remains tied to recent combat operations in the Strait of Hormuz, where one aircraft was lost in disputed circumstances during heightened tensions with Iran.
Air Force Secretary Troy Meink announced the extension, saying it will preserve combat capability while the defence industrial base ramps up production of newer aircraft.
The decision comes against the backdrop of an earlier A-10 loss in the region, which Iranian authorities claimed was a shootdown, while US accounts described it as a crash with the cause still under investigation.
"We will EXTEND the A-10 'Warthog' platform to 2030," Air Force Secretary Troy Meink posted on social media, adding the move "preserves combat power as the Defence Industrial Base works to increase combat aircraft production."
The development is the latest chapter in a long-running battle over the fate of the plane, which first flew in 1976 and has been on the Pentagon's chopping block for more than two decades.
The A-10 has been used in the current conflict with Iran, according to US Central Command. Its powerful nose-mounted guns have been used against Iranian ships in the Strait of Hormuz, according to reports.
Some in the Air Force have long argued that the Warthog is too old, too slow and too expensive to maintain, and that retiring it would free up money for modernisation priorities like development of hypersonic weapons.
Critics have warned that cutting the fleet without a suitable replacement would leave ground troops without adequate air support.
But the A-10 has proven almost impossible to kill, in large part because of its political staying power. The largest concentration of the fleet is based at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, Arizona, contributing to the local economy.
The Air Force ranks among the region's top employers. Arizona is a battleground state that has become increasingly influential in deciding US presidential races.
In 2021, Arizona Sen Mark Kelly successfully pushed back against a Biden administration proposal to retire dozens of the planes, securing language in defence legislation that blocked any retirements.
Kelly argued the planes should not be cut without a suitable replacement to carry out the close air support mission.
Air Force officials have also warned that keeping the full fleet strains the supply of mechanics needed to service newer aircraft.
The latest extension suggests those concerns have, for now, again taken a back seat to preserving combat capacity.
