At the direction of Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, the venerable A-10 Warthog has had its service life extended into 2030, the Office of the Secretary of the Air Force Dr. Troy Meink announced on Tuesday.
In consultation with @SecWar, we will EXTEND the A-10 “Warthog” platform to 2030. This preserves combat power as the Defense Industrial Base works to increase combat aircraft production.
— Office of the Secretary of the Air Force (@SecAFOfficial) April 20, 2026
Thank you to @POTUS for your unwavering support of our warfighters and quick, decisive… pic.twitter.com/zn1l3OshdY
Long live the Warthog. https://t.co/D5TRMIXAFF
— Pete Hegseth (@PeteHegseth) April 20, 2026
Outstanding news! The Warthog lives to fight another day! @PeteHegseth is rolling aces!
— Buzz Patterson (@BuzzPatterson) April 20, 2026
Fly. Fight. Win! https://t.co/QYidfKTQp1
This is like the fifth time the A-10 has come back from being retired. The Brett Farve of planes https://t.co/GExPu25TfO
— PFT Commenter (@PFTCommenter) April 20, 2026
Let's GOO https://t.co/xyFscZKzWx pic.twitter.com/0gLgHtqs9r
— captive dreamer (@captive_dreamer) April 20, 2026
The close air support aircraft is beloved by those in the military and aviation enthusiasts alike. The A-10 was notably utilized recently during Operation Epic Fury, as well as in the operation to save the weapon systems officer who was downed deep in Iranian territory earlier this month, where the aircraft was lost after sustaining damage during combat operations.
The latest extension will see the plane continue service beyond the initial planned sunset of 2026.