The US Air Force and Department of War are to delay the final retirement of the Fairchild A-10C Thunderbolt II from 2029 to 2030, announcing the decision soon after shutting down A-10 depth maintenance at the Ogden Air Logistics Center at Hill AFB and graduating the last class of new pilots at Davis Monthan AFB.
On 19 April 2026 US Secretary of the Air Force Dr Troy E Meink announced that, in consultation with the US secretary of war, the decision had been taken to extend the service life of the Fairchild A-10C Thunderbolt II (better known as the Warthog) until 2030. “This preserves combat power as the defense-industrial base works to increase combat aircraft production,” Meink explained, while thanking President Trump for his “unwavering support of our warfighters and quick, decisive leadership as we equip our force”.
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth retweeted the message from the Office of the Secretary of the Air Force, stating simply: “Long live the Warthog.”
On 19 April 2026 US Secretary of the Air Force Dr Troy E Meink announced that, in consultation with the US secretary of war, the decision had been taken to extend the service life of the Fairchild A-10C Thunderbolt II (better known as the Warthog) until 2030. “This preserves combat power as the defense-industrial base works to increase combat aircraft production,” Meink explained, while thanking President Trump for his “unwavering support of our warfighters and quick, decisive leadership as we equip our force”.
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth retweeted the message from the Office of the Secretary of the Air Force, stating simply: “Long live the Warthog.”
The US Air Force (USAF) has attempted to retire and divest the A-10 fleet numerous times, dating back to the mid-1980s, but has always faced ‘pushback’ from Congress, which has saved the aircraft from extinction every single time. In its FY2026 budget request the USAF sought to retire the last of its A-10 Warthogs early, only to be again blocked by Congress.
The case for extending the A-10C’s service life was bolstered by its high-profile participation in Operation ‘Epic Fury’ – not least when A-10Cs supported combat search and rescue (CSAR) efforts to recover two downed F-15E aircrew and conducted strafing attacks against Iranian vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.
In its most recent National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), Congress directed that the USAF could not “decrease the total aircraft inventory of A-10 aircraft below 103 aircraft” until the end of this fiscal year. There are some 281 A-10Cs in the current inventory. Congress also ordered that the Secretary of the Air Force should brief lawmakers on the USAF’s plans for the fleet ahead of a March 2026 deadline.
Before the recent announcement, the plan had been for the A-10 to remain in service with the Air National Guard until fiscal year 2027 and the Air Force Reserve until fiscal year 2028, with the entire fleet to be divested by fiscal year 2029.
With these deadlines in mind, the USAF has already started to wind up support arrangements and the training pipeline for Warthog pilots. The Ogden Air Logistics Complex’s 571st Aircraft Maintenance Squadron has performed depot-level maintenance on the A-10 since 1998 and rolled out the last A-10C to undergo overhaul at the facility (78-0655) in a ‘Hawg Out’ ceremony on 12 February 2026.
The USAF graduated its final class of new A-10C pilots from the 357th Fighter Squadron, the sole formal training unit (FTU) for the type, on 3 April 2026 at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base (AFB), Arizona. First Lieutenant Hunter Mason was reportedly the last to complete the culminating exercise of his mission qualification training on 18 March 2026.
Fittingly, one of the guest speakers at the graduation ceremony was retired USAF colonel Kim ‘KC’ Campbell, who was awarded a Distinguished Flying Cross for saving her aircraft after it was heavily damaged by anti-aircraft artillery (AAA) during Operation ‘Iraqi Freedom’ in 2003. Campbell landed her aircraft using the Manual Reversion Flight Control System (MRFCS), though it was so badly damaged that it never flew again.
Davis Monthan’s Facebook account noted the occasion under the heading ‘The Last Dragons’. “Today, the final roar of student-piloted A-10s echoed over DM as the 357th Training Squadron graduated its last class,” the account stated. “An incredible legacy, an unforgettable aircraft, and a new generation of warriors ready to dominate the skies. This isn’t goodbye; it’s ‘See you in the fight!”
The USAF plans to extend two squadrons of A-10s to 2030: one active-duty squadron at Moody AFB and one reserve squadron at Whiteman AFB. A second active-duty squadron at Moody will fly the aircraft through to 2029.
Each squadron will operate 18 aircraft, meaning that 54 A-10Cs will need to be kept airworthy and operational until 2029, reducing to 36 in 2030. The USAF will use a fleet management strategy to keep those A-10Cs with the longest serviceable life available throughout the service extension period.
Some A-10 airframes could theoretically be kept airworthy into the 2040s, but any further extension beyond 2030 would be impossible without re-opening training and engineering support pipelines that have already been shut down. This means that 2030 will almost certainly be ‘endex’ for the Warthog.
