As the A-10 Warthog Nears Retirement, the Air Force Faces a Tricky Handoff of Its Rescue Role to the F-35 and F-15
The U.S. Air Force is pushing ahead with plans to retire its iconic A-10 Thunderbolt II attack aircraft, even as it acknowledges the challenge of transferring the Warthog’s specialized combat search-and-rescue (CSAR) role to newer platforms like the F-35 and F-15E.
At a recent House Armed Services Committee hearing, lawmakers pressed service leaders on whether the transition would create dangerous gaps in capability—particularly the so-called “Sandy” mission, in which A-10s fly low and slow to protect downed aircrew while engaging enemy forces at close range. That role was on vivid display during a 2023 operation to rescue a downed F-15E crew in Iran, and A-10s have also been used to hunt Iranian fast-attack boats in the Strait of Hormuz.
Gen. Kenneth Wilsbach, Air Force chief of staff, testified that the service is “absolutely” committed to maintaining CSAR capability, but acknowledged that no single aircraft is a direct one-for-one replacement for the A-10. “Well, ‘match’ is probably in the eye of the beholder,” Wilsbach said when asked by Rep. Derrick Van Orden (R-WI) whether any current jet could match the Warthog’s performance.
The Air Force has long argued the A-10 would be too vulnerable in a future conflict against a peer adversary like China. But lawmakers, led by Rep. Austin Scott (R-GA), have questioned whether F-35 and F-15 pilots will receive the same specialized low-altitude, close-air-support training that A-10 pilots have for decades. “We will have to,” Wilsbach replied, adding, “It’s our mission.”
The service has requested funding to begin training F-35 pilots specifically for CSAR, and the recent decision to slow the A-10’s retirement—keeping one squadron flying through 2029 and two others into 2030—is meant to buy time for that transition. Air Force Secretary Troy Meink said the phased retirement will allow the service to “backfill” units with “more capable, survivable combat aircraft,” though critics note that survivability in a high-threat environment often comes at the cost of the loiter time and low-speed maneuverability that made the Warthog a favorite for rescue cover.
The shift also comes amid heightened awareness of the A-10’s recent combat record. Beyond the Iran rescue mission, Warthogs have been credited with destroying Iranian fast-attack boats that threatened commercial shipping. As the Air Force reorients toward great-power competition, the question remains whether the next generation of pilots and jets can replicate the gritty, ground-hugging work that defined the A-10’s legacy.
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