The United States Air Force (USAF) has granted yet another extension to the A-10, popularly known as the Warthog; it will now not retire before 2030. This is despite many attempts to remove the ‘flying tank’ from the USAF’s inventory.“In consultation with @SecWar, we will EXTEND the A-10 “Warthog” platform to 2030. This preserves combat power as the Defense Industrial Base works to increase combat aircraft production. Thank you to @POTUS for your unwavering support of our warfighters and quick, decisive leadership as we equip our force. More to come,” US Air Force Secretary Dr. Troy E. Meink posted on social media.The A-10, designed to sustain serious damage and continue fighting, has now survived the seventh attempt to retire it. This is because the youngest A-10 airframe is now over 40 years old.
The aircraft was designed in the late 1960s and 1970s to take on the huge mass of Soviet armor that was expected to roll out to attack NATO forces through the Fulda Gap in Germany had the Cold War gone hot. The aircraft was supposed to fly low over the battlefield, dropping bombs, firing its guns and missiles on the tanks below, reported the US-based National Defense magazine.The aircraft was designed around a seven-barrel 30mm cannon that was supposed to shred through Soviet armour. Almost all systems in the aircraft were designed to take hits and the aircraft had redundant systems to ensure that it keeps flying. The cockpit was built around an armored titanium ‘bathtub’ to give the pilot protection from groundfire. The A-10 was supposed to shrug off gunfire of up to 23mm autocannons, perhaps the most powerful of the Soviet frontline self-propelled air defense artillery of that era, National Defense magazine reported.Since the aircraft was designed and first fielded, the frontline low-level threat moved from guns to missiles. The aircraft is unlikely to survive against a modern air defense system.The aircraft got a new lease of life during America’s Global War On Terror (GWOT). In the absence of modern air defense systems, the aircraft fought against ISIS and other insurgent groups in Iraq and against the Taliban in Afghanistan. The aircraft has also performed missions over Iran.In a conflict with a nearby peer such as China, the aircraft will face increased danger. The A-10 will now not see retirement until 2030, the aircraft has so far successfully lived its seven lives.
