Why The A-10 Warthog’s Rescue Of A Downed F-15E Pilot Forced The Air Force To Reverse Its Retirement

After 2026’s Operation Epic Fury and the F-15E rescue operation in Iran, the Air Force said it would keep the much-loved Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II (Warthog) in service until Fiscal 2030. For years, the Air Force has been asking to retire all its Warthogs, only to be stymied by Congress for years. After Congress allowed the Air Force to begin phasing them out, it limited how many the Air Force could retire in a given year.