A-10 Warthog’s Retirement Set for 2022 in New Defense Budget

Attempts to retire the A-10 have been met with strong resistance from soldiers, Marines, and some U.S. lawmakers

An A-10 Thunderbolt II undergoes pre-flight inspections at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz. on March 23, 2006. The retirement of the A-10 is being pushed back to 2022. U.S. Air Force photo by/Airman 1st Class Jesse Shipps

The U.S. military’s retirement of the A-10 Thunderbolt II, nicknamed the “Warthog,” has been set for 2022 in the forthcoming defense budget, revealed Secretary of Defense Ash Carter in a recent speech.

“The budget defers the A-10’s final retirement until 2022, replacing it with F-35 Joint Strike Fighters on a squadron-by-squadron basis, so we'll always have enough aircraft for today’s conflicts,” Carter said in Washington on Feb. 2, according to a transcript.

Attempts to retire the A-10 have been met with strong resistance from soldiers, Marines, and some U.S. lawmakers who believe the F-35 isn’t a proper replacement for the plane.

The 40-year-old A-10 is designed for close air support and specializes in attacking tanks, armored vehicles, and enemy combatants on the ground.

Troops on the ground say the A-10 has a kind of shock-and-awe effect on their adversaries, and the 30 mm GAU-8 Avenger rotary cannon on the nose of the plane has become a meme among military fans for its signature “BRRRRRRT” sound.

An A-10 Thunderbolt II fires the 30 mm gun at a low angle strafe on March 23, 2006, at the Barry-Goldwater Range, Gila Bend Air Force Auxiliary Field. The aircraft, nicknamed the "Warthog" is a favorite among troops. U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Christina D. Ponte