Why does the Air Force not like the A-10?

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Why does the Air Force not like the A-10?

The Air Force does not believe that the A-10 is any more survivable in hostile air space now than it was in 1976. While maintenance and operational costs for the A-10 are low, it still takes up a cadre of pilots and aircrew who could more profitably be allocated to other aircraft.

What will the A-10 be replaced with?

The U.S. Air Force had stated the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II would replace the A-10 as it entered service, but this remains highly contentious within the USAF and in political circles.

How many a10s does the U.S. have?

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Over 367 A-10 aircraft are in service with the US Air Force, Air Combat Command, the US Air Force Reserve and the Air National Guard. The aircraft variants currently in service in the US Air force are A-10 (143), and A-10C (70); Reserve A-10 (46) and OA-10 (6); ANG, A-10 (84) and OA-10 (18).

How many A-10 shot down?

(Many returned to base almost unflyable, but only seven Warthogs have ever been shot down or crashed due to combat.) Production had been shut down since 1984, and zero effort had been put into coming up with a direct replacement.

Should the Air Force retire its A-10s?

Congress mostly said no, and refused to retire any A-10s at all. Congress has dashed the U.S. Air Force’s plans to retire nearly 140 aircraft, forcing the service to keep most of the planes in service.

How many A-10s are still in service?

The Air Force told Congress it wanted to retire 113 aircraft from its worldwide inventory. The 138 aircraft included A-10 Thunderbolt II ground attack aircraft, bombers, spy drones, and tankers. Congress mostly said no, and refused to retire any A-10s at all.

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Can the F-35 really replace the A-10 and F-16?

However, the F-35 is intended to replace older planes like the A-10 and the F-16, and it can’t do that if Congress won’t let the Air Force retire older planes. More to the point, the Air Force won’t be able to field the F-35, or even place orders for more, without sufficient funds.

What happened to the Air Force’s A-10 Warthogs?

Congress has dashed the U.S. Air Force’s plans to retire nearly 140 aircraft, forcing the service to keep most of the planes in service. The 2021 defense budget will require the Air Force to keep all of the A-10 Thunderbolt II “Warthogs”, B-1B Lancers, and many other types of planes the service had asked to shed.