The A-10 Warthog has taken on a new maritime role, focusing on fast, small boats and coastal threats in the conflict with Iran. This shift could extend the aircraft’s service life even as the Air Force has long sought to retire it. Congress has resisted those retirement efforts, blocking attempts to reduce the fleet and maintaining a larger number of A-10s in service.
In a Pentagon briefing, Chairman Gen. Dan Caine said the A-10s are “in the fight” on the southern flank, including operations against Iranian boats in the Strait of Hormuz. He noted that the campaign targets mine storage facilities and naval ammunition depots and has involved destroying afloat assets, with more than 120 vessels and 44 mine layers cited as part of ongoing pressure. He added that the A-10 is actively hunting fast-attack watercraft in the Strait of Hormuz, with AH-64 Apaches joining southern operations and some allied forces employing Apaches to counter one-way attack drones.
This comes as President Donald Trump has escalated threats against Iran over its blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, which has disrupted global energy shipments. A temporary ceasefire was reached hours before Trump’s stated deadline to strike energy infrastructure if Tehran did not reopen the strait.
As of 2026, the Air Force inventories around 280 A-10 aircraft, with Congress requiring that the fleet not fall below 103 aircraft in Fiscal Year 2026 as part of the National Defense Authorization Act.
Although the A-10 is slower and less stealthy than newer aircraft, it offers long loiter time over target areas and the ability to visually identify and engage threats. Originally designed as a Cold War-era tank killer, the A-10’s expanded role against small, fast-moving boats and coastal threats has intensified the debate over the Air Force’s decade-long effort to retire the jet.
