Air Force Says A-10 Attack Jet ‘Doesn’t Scare China,’ But What About Iran?

ANALYSIS – The Air Force has been trying to retire the beloved and unique A-10 Warthog (officially the Thunderbolt II) for years. One of the best tank-busting, close-air support aircraft of the Cold War, it has also seen plenty of use in Middle East battlefields.

But it's getting old in the tooth. And many argue that after four decades in service, it has outlived its usefulness, despite its massive 30mm GAU-8/A Gatling gun and bomb load.

Then again, the Air Force never really liked the idea of a slow, ‘ugly' plane dedicated to supporting troops on the ground. They have a thing for fast, shiny (and now stealth) jet fighters and bombers.

During a recent hearing, Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall told Congress that the aircraft “doesn't scare China,” adding: “It still has some limited utility, but we have to get on with things.”

Well, the plane with the huge gun and a titanium ‘bathtub' protecting the pilot may not scare China, but it may scare Iran, especially in its latest configuration.

And Russian forces in Syria, too.

Because this even more heavily armed A-10 version is being sent to the Middle East right now.

Spurred by increasing tensions with Iran and Russia in Syria, a squadron of A-10 Thunderbolt II attack jets, modified to triple their bomb loads, has just been deployed to the Central Command's (CENTCOM's) area of operations.

“There's a growing confluence between Russia and Iran, and I would argue with the Syrian regime as well, and that is manifesting in Syria as a challenge to our defeat-ISIS campaign and really just overall regional stability,” said Lt. Gen. Alexus Grynkewich, who leads Air Forces Central Command.

Some have referred to this newly refitted A-10 as a “bomb truck.” The new max load is 16 bombs each.

There are also plans to push the bomb loadout to 24 bombs each.

But it's not just any bombs. They are 250 lbs. ‘bunker busters.'

This will be the first time that the Air Force will arm the Warthogs with the precision-guided GBU-39/B Small Diameter Bomb (SDB).

The Warthog already possessed air-to-surface precision strike capabilities with its AGM-65 Maverick missile and the Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) guidance kit.

But the 250-pound SDB will give the A-10 a significantly improved precision strike capability from well over 40 nautical miles away.

This four-fold increase in standoff bomb capability should dramatically increase the plane's survivability over a contested battlefield.

Congress has blocked the Air Force's attempts to retire the A-10 for many years, but in late 2022, lawmakers finally allowed 21 Warthogs to be retired. 

This will reduce the fleet of A-10s to 260.

But the remaining aircraft will now see an expanded mission set probably into the early 2030s.

As Defense One reports:

With each plane carrying four SDB bomb racks, a flight of four A-10s could bomb up to 64 ground targets, a nearly three-fold increase. Each plane can also carry laser-guided rockets along with its famed 30mm tankbusting gun.

“That's a lot of targets that you can hit from an air-to-ground perspective,” Grynkewich said.

The rugged attack jet also gives commanders more flexibility because it can fly from short or dirt runways.

“We would be able to maneuver [the A-10] very rapidly to different locations and show an ability to do strike operations that really would be very difficult to counter in any meaningful way should things escalate,” he said.

Many of Iran's underground military facilities could be targets. Though the deeply buried nuclear sites will require much more firepower to penetrate.

With the recent capture of a U.S.-bound oil tanker by Iranian commandos, American forces are looking to increase their regional maritime strike capabilities.

The A-10 could also be used to patrol the Strait of Hormuz, where Iranian fast attack missile boats have harassed warships and tankers.

“There certainly are maritime threats that are out there that are promulgated by the Iranians,” Grynkewich said. “The A-10 brings you a capability that can counter that, as well – kinetically, if necessary, with those rockets and the gun.”

But that's not all.

Air Forces Central is looking at giving A-10s the ability to shoot down enemy aerial drones. And Iran has lots of them.

Since the Warthog lacks a radar (it never needed one for its mission), a network of U.S. and allied radars would be used to guide the slow-moving attack jets to take down the drones.

In this scenario, the A-10's slower speed provides a big advantage.

The A-10 would then use its infrared targeting pod to engage a drone with heat-seeking missiles or laser-guided rockets, Grynkewich noted.

So, while China may not be scared of the A-10 Warthog, I think it's safe to say that Iran, its militias, and Russian forces in Syria may not be too happy about the new ‘bomb trucks' headed their way.

The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the positions of American Liberty News.

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