Despite the protests of the badass pilots who fly it and troops on the ground who love having it overhead, the A-10 Thunderbolt II has been fighting for its life since the introduction of the F-35. Over the years, Air Force brass have cut the A-10’s budget and pushed to retire the old warbird.
In 2023, Congress permitted the Air Force to divest 21 A-10s with a goal of full retirement by 2029. However, further divestment was paused when the Air Force couldn’t identify a Close Air Support (CAS) replacement aircraft that could fill the A-10’s shoes.
Also Read: The Army’s latest helicopter has its official name: Cheyenne II
In April 2026, Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink announced that the A-10, also known as the Warthog, would keep flying through 2030. Specifically, the service plans to extend two A-10 squadrons, one active duty at Moody AFB and one reserve at Whiteman AFB. For one Army veteran in Congress, that isn’t enough.
On July 21, 2026, Arizona Congressman Abraham Hamadeh introduced the Bolstering Recognition, Resurgence, Retention, and Remembrance of the Thunderbolt Act. The bipartisan BRRRRT Act is co-led by North Carolina’s Rep. Don Davis and cosponsored by Reps. Richard McCormick of Georgia, Derrick Van Orden from Wisconsin, Sam Graves of Missouri, and Florida’s Cory Mills .
The aptly named legislation would preserve the A-10’s mission, ensuring that the legendary aircraft remains in the air and on the frontlines until a certified replacement is operational. While Marine Corps F-35 pilots train CAS to support Marines on the ground, the Air Force doesn’t fly the F-35 for dedicated CAS sorties.
Designed to rip apart Soviet tanks on the plains of Europe if the Cold War got hot, the A-10 first saw combat during the Gulf War in 1991. Over the next 30 years, the Warthog demonstrated its ability to deliver precise and deadly CAS while being tough enough to take a serious beating and bring its pilot home safe. When you need close air support for troops in contact in Killbox One Alpha, you send the Hogs.
Hamadeh’s BRRRRT Act (so named for the iconic sound of the aircraft’s GAU-8/A 30mm autocannon) would increase the minimum number of A-10s in operational inventory, and support training and sustainment pipelines. This would keep young airmen up to speed on flying and maintaining the aircraft.
“The A-10 has repeatedly proven itself on the battlefield, saving American lives and delivering unmatched close air support when our troops need it most,” Hamadeh said in his press release. “The BRRRRT Act ensures we do not retire a proven weapons system before a certified replacement exists. This is about common sense, national security, and keeping faith with the men and women who depend on the A-10 in combat.”
Further preserving the A-10, the legislation would require that retired aircraft be preserved in rapidly recoverable condition to allow for a quick return to service, if needed. It also calls for the Air Force to evaluate keeping A-10s in Reserve and Guard wings, as well as the feasibility of sale or transfer to foreign partners. The United States is the only country that owns and operates A-10s.
In defiance of accusations of obsolescence, A-10s have been laying down the hate in the Middle East. Warthogs have struck missile sites, sunk boats, and even shot down drones in conflicts with Iran and Irananian-backed militias.
“As a former Army Intelligence Officer, I know that the arrival of the A-10 creates the most beautiful sound ever heard by troops under fire on the battlefield,” Hamadeh said. “For too long, the military industrial complex has pushed new, not better, leaving our troops at risk by retiring the great Warthog. The A-10 is proof that newer isn’t always better and price has nothing to do with performance.”z
Don’t Miss the Best of We Are The Mighty
• The Navy ordered $23.4M of hypersonic missiles to be launched from drones
• The proposal to turn the A-10 Warthog into a firefighter
• Northrop Grumman teases first look at next-gen Navy fighter
