The U.S. Air Force plans to retire all 162 remaining A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft also known as “Warthog” by the end of fiscal year 2026, two years earlier than scheduled.
Originally built between 1972 and 1984 for close air support, the A-10’s durability and GAU-8 Avenger cannon earned it a reputation among troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. Despite that legacy, Air Force officials said the platform no longer fits the demands of future conflict.
Retiring the aircraft two years ahead of schedule will cost $57 million, an amount the Air Force has included in its 2026 budget request, according to Task & Purpose.
“The probably key one that most folks will want to be aware of is the Air Force will divest the remaining 162 A-10 aircraft,” a senior defense official said during a briefing on the service’s 2026 budget request. “They were originally set to divest over a time period into ’28. We’re set to divest all of those in ’26.”
The plan would mark the Air Force’s largest aircraft drawdown in years, with roughly 350 planes and helicopters slated for retirement next year. In addition to the A-10s, the list includes 62 F-16s, 36 F-15s, 14 C-130H cargo planes, three EC-130H electronic warfare aircraft, and 15 KC-135 tankers.
The Air Force has long argued that the A-10 is becoming obsolete with the arrival of more advanced aircraft like the F-35. However, the latest budget proposal also reduces F-35 orders from 74 to 47 jets.
Alongside this, the Air Force is requesting $3.1 billion to purchase 21 F-15EX aircraft and $3.4 billion for the development of F-47, the country’s first sixth-generation fighter jet.
