U.S. Air Force to retire the A-10 Thunderbolt, heart of Davis-Monthan AFB.

The A-10 Thunderbolt II, commonly referred to just as the A-10 or “Warthog”, has been in service since 1976, when the United States Air Force was on the lookout for a low-altitude, close air support (CAS) aircraft. With Davis-Monthan Air Force Base becoming the first unit to receive this aircraft, the A-10 turned into one of the most widely used in U.S. military deployments around the world, including Operation Desert Storm and the subsequent Gulf War, the invasion of Afghanistan, and the Iraq War.

However, in the last couple of years, talks of retiring the A-10 increased amid concerns over its obsolescence when compared to aircraft such as fifth-generation jet fighters like the F-35 Lightning II, which, though built for different purposes, may be able to achieve the goals of the Thunderbolt at a decreased risk for the pilot and the aircraft itself thanks to the use of smart munitions.

A prior opponent of such policy was Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ), who vouched sternly for the A-10 because of the role it played in air support missions for ground troops.

Kelly, who was a combat pilot himself, also raised the issue of the potential economic impact this plan would have primarily in the A-10’s home base in Tucson, stating that the airplane is “an economic driver for the area.” Davis-Monthan AFB employs about 5,000 people in service of the aircraft.

Nonetheless, Arizona lawmakers at both the state and federal level, among them U.S. senators Mark Kelly, Kyrsten Sinema, and representatives Rubén Gallego and Juan Ciscomani, have publicly expressed their support for the change, albeit with some caveats, now that the Air Force has announced plans to establish a new wing, what they called the 492nd Power Projection Wing, to replace the A-10-focused units on-site.

Though the purpose of this new mission remains unclear, Air Force spokeswoman Sarah Fiocco told Air & Space Forces Magazine that it will be a “special operations unit based in the U.S. that can be sent anywhere.”

The A-10 is set to be completely retired over the course of several years, 2029 being the prospective goal.