by The mission of the A-10 Warthog is to provide close air support in mass fire against TOMA, TOMBA, tanks and enemy ground forces, as well as to shoot down enemy drones.
It is known that it was recently announced that the US Air Force announced the withdrawal from operational service of 21 A-10 Thunderbolt II attack aircraft.
This news marks the beginning of the end for the entire US A-10 fleet, according to General Brown, the US Chief of Staff, as it is expected to be fully retired within five to six years.
The reason for the retirement of the aircraft nicknamed “Warthog” was its inability to survive against modern anti-aircraft defenses, while it is also a single-mission aircraft, well below current operational expectations that make tip the balance in the acquisition of multi-role aircraft. “
The removal of the Warthogs from operational service came days before the U.S. fiscal year 2024 budget proposal was presented.
Use the A-10 Warthog to shoot down enemy drones
However, a reputable French media gives another version of the use of the aircraft in question in an article titled, “A-10 Warthog attack aircraft could be used as a fighter to shoot down enemy drones”indicating:
“Designed to carry the 30mm GAU-8 Avenger Gatling cannon, capable of firing up to 3,900 rounds per minute and featuring very high maneuverability at low speeds and low altitudes, the A-10 Thunderbolt attack aircraft II, or Warthog, is an aircraft, with the mission of destroying enemy tanks.
This particular aircraft demonstrated the extent of its capabilities during Operation Desert Storm 1991, which was conducted to liberate Kuwait from Saddam.
Subsequently, the Warthog was primarily used to provide close air support to ground forces during operations in Afghanistan and Iraq.
The US Air Force has been saying for several years that it wants to withdraw them in order to find budgetary space to fund other programs, including the F-35, although Congress has always opposed it so far.
The Warthog’ is over forty years old. It was a great plane at the time. And it has served us well. I’ve been advocating it for a long time, but it doesn’t scare China,” Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall said during a House hearing this week. “It still has limited utility, but we need to focus on things that will be more effective against the threat,” he added.
The A-10 Warthog may no longer be suitable for current threats, characterized by a reinforcement of access denial capabilities, but it obviously remains suitable for certain theaters of operations.
US CENTCOM, the US Middle East and Central Asia Command, now has a squadron of Warthogs.
Despite their announced retirement, the A-10 Warthogs available to US CENTCOM have been modernized, with the idea of becoming “bombers”.
Indeed, thanks to a software update, they can now carry up to 16 GBU-39B bombs. This configuration was recently tested by the 422nd Test and Evaluation Squadron at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada.
Obviously, it is a question of going even further since General Grynkewich mentioned the possibility of increasing the carrying capacity of the A-10 to 24 GBU-39B.
Additionally, according to the AFCENT official, the Warthog could also be used to shoot down enemy drones, although it does not have radar for this.
One can think of “using a network of American and allied radars to guide attack aircraft towards their targets”. Using its infrared sight, the Warthog will be able to engage a drone with laser-guided missiles or rockets,” General Grynkewich said.
“We’re in the experimental phase but conceptually we think there’s a lot of promise here,” he said. “The A-10 will hover at a slower speed, which is an advantage over a drone. We think that extra capacity could give us something really exciting,” he concluded.
The A-10 Warthog Solution
The United States has seen Greece as an anchor country, to better serve its interests in a turbulent geographic area comprised of Eastern Europe-Balkans-SE-N Mediterranean. Is-N. Africa.
For this, they activate their new military bases in Greece, which they equip, against Turkish provocation-aggression.
From the above, it generally follows that our country should take advantage of the opportunity of the current phase and acquire American weapons systems withdrawn from the superpower, to strengthen its deterrent capability.
The American A-10 Warthog aircraft also belongs to this category.
Its mission is to provide mass close air support against TOMA, TOMBA, tanks and enemy ground forces, but also to shoot down enemy drones.
This photographs the Turkish motorized and armored brigades of Evros, but also the Turkish marine brigade, the airborne forces and the motorized armored vehicles following the first waves of landings of the Turkish forces which will “descend” on our islands to occupy them, as well as than the many Turkish drones, UCAV.
As we understand, any acquisition of even a single-digit number of A-10s from Greece would greatly improve our deterrent power in Evros and the islands, becoming the fear and terror of Turkish ground forces and Turkish drones .
