Legendary A-10 Warthogs taking on key role in Strait of Hormuz
A storied attack aircraft the Air Force had wanted to retire this year is taking on an important role in the war with Iran, Gen. Dane Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said Thursday.
“The A-10 Warthog is now in the fight across the southern flank and is hunting and killing fast-attack watercraft in the Strait of Hormuz,” Caine told a Pentagon press conference, News.Az reports, citing CNN.
The twin-engine attack jet, officially called the Thunderbolt, became operational in 1976. It made its name during the Gulf War in 1991 and later in Afghanistan for its ability to provide close air support to ground troops in vulnerable positions.
Many troops considered the jets their guardian angels, and the “bbrrrrpppp” roar of their seven-barrel, 30mm Gatling guns attack enemy positions was legendary.
Besides the guns, the single-seat jets can carry missiles, guided and unguided bombs, laser-guided rockets and other munitions, according to an Air Force fact sheet. It notes the mechanical toughness of the platform, which had a mission-capable rate of more than 95% during the Gulf War.
In battle, the A-10 is heavily armored and can take a beating. The pilot is protected by titanium plating, and the jet is designed to fly on one engine and even half of a wing. It can be manually controlled if hydraulics are lost.
Despite those advantages, Air Force leaders had wanted to retire the A-10s to save on the costs of keeping the five-decade-old airframe updated, including all the support staff needed to maintain it. The plan is for the F-35 to eventually assume the A-10s ground-attack and close-air-support roles.
But the plane has supporters in Congress, which called for keeping at least 103 A-10s in the recent National Defense Authorization Act.
Now it appears to be playing a vital role in the Strait of Hormuz.
In another new mission for military aircraft, Caine said AH-64 Apache attack helicopters are being used to take down Iranian drones as well as attack Iranian-aligned militia groups in Iraq.
By Faig Mahmudov
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