Controversial Retirement: Why Neither Drones Nor The F-35 Can Replace The A-10 Warthog Effectively

First introduced into service in 1977, the Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II, more colloquially called the A-10 Warthog, is a single-seat subsonic attack aircraft designed to provide close air support (CAS). After nearly 50 years of service, it is unsurprising that the United States Air Force is looking to retire the decades-old aircraft, citing its obsolete nature in a world of advanced air defenses.