Summary and Key Points: Despite ongoing debates about its relevance, the U.S. Air Force’s A-10 Warthog continues to see deployment, now heading to the Middle East amid tensions with the Houthis. These aircraft, operated by Idaho’s Air National Guard, offer substantial close air support and strike capabilities.
-Combined with B-2 stealth bombers and carrier-based F-35Cs, they could deliver devastating strikes against Houthi targets, effectively deterring aggression.
U.S. Air Force Maj. Lindsay “MAD” Johnson, A-10C Thunderbolt II Demonstration Team commander and pilot, signals to the audience from her A-10 aircraft during a Hawgsmoke 2024 practice demonstration at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona, Sept. 12, 2024. The A-10’s ability to fly low and slow over the battlefield was one of the many attributes that made it an effective close air support airframe. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Devlin Bishop)
-Although slated for retirement by 2028, the A-10 remains critical for current missions, including potential strikes on missile sites threatening shipping lanes, underscoring its persistent battlefield utility despite critics advocating for more modern replacements.
The A-10 Warthog Is Back
You have heard me say it forcefully before. The A-10 (Thunderbolt II) Warthog needs to be retired. The F-35 and F-16 can conduct its close air support mission. The Warthog is expensive to maintain and it is not entirely useful in this age of great power warfare that favors stealth jets and anti-ship missiles. It is an airplane searching for a mission. But by golly, the A-10Warthog is not going away, despite its limitations. It is instead being deployed in one of the most dangerous parts of the world.
The Houthis Don’t Want to See the A-10 Warthog Bear Its Fangs
A-10s are being sent to the Middle East – ostensibly to aid in a possible full-on war with the Houthis. These beastly airplanes could take out Houthi military targets and even strafe and destroy barracks and other personnel infrastructure to punish the terrorists and convince them that war with the United States is futile.
This Batch Is from the Air National Guard
Western defense outlets reported on March 31 that “several” A-10s were headed to the Middle East along with 300 support personnel to keep the vaunted warbird flying for months. This multiple plane deployment to the Central Command area of responsibility is being carried out by the 190th Fighter Squadron of the Idaho Air National Guard.
This must have been a surprise to those pilots and airmen who are more used to reserve roles. Local media outlets in Idaho said the deployment of the A-10s could last for as long as six months.
Major General Tim Donnellan, commander of the Idaho National Guard, said in a release that “Readiness and relevance are our strengths, whether performing our state mission here at home or our federal mission abroad.”
A-10s Join the Air Force’s B-2 Stealth Bombers
To beef up the U.S. presence in the region, B-2 bombers have also been deployed to Diego Garcia in an effort to remind Yemen and Iran that the Americans mean business.
A combined attack from B-2s and A-10s could bring unprecedented levels of death and destruction to the terrorists.
The Air Force bombers and Air Guard Warthogs could be combined with an attack from U.S. Navy F-35Cs and F/A-18 E/F Super Hornets that would rain down precision-guided bombs and missiles.
What Kind of Mission Will the Warthog Have?
This is not the first deployment of A-10s to the Middle East. They have also been sent to Central Command while the Israelis have fought Hamas and Hezbollah.
The A-10 could potentially have some type of role in an attack against Iran, but that may not be in the cards for now. However, the A-10 has been used in a strike role against ISIS terrorists in Iraq and Syria. This is probably a more likely mission for the close air support dominators.
Despite their popularity with mission commanders and battle planners, the Air Force aims to retire all 200 A-10s by FY 2028.
Fans of the A-10s point to the latest use and have determined that the Warthog is needed in all its glory to fight brush fire wars into the 2030s. They bring powerful weapons and munitions to the fight and can loiter over a target and blast away protecting Americans soldiers and marines on the ground.
It’s the Houthis that Need Punishing
The Houthis are now the main worry. The United States has been punishing them in Yemen and the terrorists have vowed they would still attack civilian and military shipping in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden with missiles and drones.
This is a danger to ships and it is only a matter of time before the enemy weapons could sneak through the protective umbrella of the U.S. Navy and damage a warship.
That’s why the A-10 could be used for a ground attack on Houthi missile launchers and other types of military targets to remove this threat.
The Navy is worried enough to send another carrier strike group to the island to join the USS Harry S. Truman. The USS Carl Vinson strike group will eventually patrol with the Truman in Central Command and the United States is looking to end the fighting efficacy of the terrorists once and for all.
The A-10 is surprisingly still part of this attacking force. The old standby during Operation Desert Storm and the Global War on Terror has enjoyed success against years of ground threats. This time it could show that continued action by the Houthis will bring death from above by the venerable Warthog in what could be its last combat deployment.
A-10 Warthog: The Photos
A-10 Warthog. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
A-10 Warthog. Image: Creative Commons.
A-10 Warthog Image: Creative Commons.
An A-10 Thunderbolt II prepares to take off from Al Asad Air Base, Iraq to provide close air support to ground troops in Iraq. The 438th Air Expeditionary Group A-10 jets perform 10 sorties daily–900 in this last four months. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Cecilio M. Ricardo Jr.)
An A-10 Thunderbolt II flies over Grand Bay Bombing and Gunnery Range at Moody Air Force Base, Ga., Feb. 18, 2016. Multiple U.S. Air Force aircraft within Air Combat Command conducted joint aerial training that showcased the aircrafts tactical air and ground maneuvers, as well as its weapons capabilities. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Brian J. Valencia/Released)
About the Author: Dr. Brent M. Eastwood
Brent M. Eastwood, PhD is the author of Don’t Turn Your Back On the World: a Conservative Foreign Policy and Humans, Machines, and Data: Future Trends in Warfare plus two other books. Brent was the founder and CEO of a tech firm that predicted world events using artificial intelligence. He served as a legislative fellow for U.S. Senator Tim Scott and advised the senator on defense and foreign policy issues. He has taught at American University, George Washington University, and George Mason University. Brent is a former U.S. Army Infantry officer. He can be followed on X @BMEastwood.
