A top U.S. general said the Air Force is reviewing the future of its close air-support aircraft, a role currently filled by the A-10 Warthog. It’s first flight was in 1975.
Lt. Gen. Mike Holmes, the deputy chief of staff for strategic plans and requirements said:My requirements guys are in the process of building a draft-requirements document for a follow-on (close air-support) plane.
Holmes first made the comments to reporters at a breakfast hosted by the Air Force Association on Thursday. He also said the Air Force would use the combat requirements to determine what type of aircraft would best meet its needs.
Do you think the 2nd Amendment will be destroyed by the Biden Administration?(2)
According to CNN, a spokesperson for the Air Force confirmed the ongoing requirements process.
The Air Force had originally planned for its version of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter to replace the A-10 Thunderbolt, or Warthog, as it has been nicknamed. But the F-35 project has been meet with delays and cost overruns and demands of the counter-ISIS mission that caused the Pentagon to reconsider its plans in the 2017 budget.
Secretary of Defense Ash Carter said back in February the A-10 had “been devastating” ISIS and that the next budget would extend its operational life by deferring the plane’s retirement until 2022, at that point it will be replaced by the F-35.Holme’s announcement shows the Air Force is now considering alternative replacement options.
