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U.S. Air Force Announces Four-Year Extension for A-10 Thunderbolt II Beyond 2026 Retirement
The U.S. Air Force announced it will keep the A-10 Thunderbolt II attack aircraft in service until 2030, extending its life beyond the prior 2026 retirement date. The decision follows consultations amid ongoing use in operations against Iranian targets. The aircraft, designed for ground support, has been deployed in the Strait of Hormuz.
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U.S. Air Force announced on April 20 that it would extend the life of the A-10 Thunderbolt II attack aircraft for another four years beyond its previously stated retirement deadline of 2026.
Meink stated on X that the extension preserves combat power as the Defense Industrial Base works to increase combat aircraft production. U.S. Central Command stated in a March 25, 2026, post on X that the A-10 was used to strike Iranian naval vessels during Operation Epic Fury.
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine revealed at a March 19 Pentagon news conference that the A-10 is now in the fight across the southern flank and is hunting and killing fast-attack watercraft in the Strait of Hormuz. The A-10 Thunderbolt II was the first Air Force aircraft designed specifically to provide air support for ground forces.
The A-10 can fly near combat areas for extended periods of time and be used as an attack aircraft against ground targets including tanks and other armored vehicles. Former F-16 Thunderbird fighter pilot Ryan Bodenheimer described the A-10 in a March 15 video as “America’s flying tank”.
Bodenheimer stated in a March 15 video that the A-10 could be used to take down Shahed drones as well as some of the fast-attack boats Iran still had in service at the time.
The A-10 is able to survive hits from armor-piercing and high-explosive projectiles up to 23mm. On April 3, a pilot ejected from an A-10 after it was hit, with Iranian forces taking credit. The pilot parachuted to safety in Kuwait before the A-10 crashed on April 3.
