By Master Sgt. Ed Boyce - http://www.defenseimagery.mil/assetDetails.action?guid=1ced9bc9eaafb8eee341a709935317c2ad765669, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=4222630

Stephen Bryen

Security, Asia

This plane needs to stick around.

How the A-10 Warthog Could Become North Korea's Worst Nightmare

The A-10 was originally designed and deployed to support NATO forces against a land attack coming from the Soviet Union.

The much-maligned A-10 Thunderbolt ground attack airplane could prove to be a savior if fighting breaks out with North Korea. However, the US Air Force wants to get rid of the plane, and is not asking for funds to fix the wings on some 100 A-10s, which therefore may end up in the scrap yard.

In any conflict with North Korea, a US-South Korean-Coalition’s objective will be to knock out North Korea’s nuclear facilities and missiles. This will surely involve strategic bombers and maybe even stealth aircraft. But one immediate consequence will be that North Korea will attack South Korea, probably aiming first at neutralizing US and Korean forces by destroying bases, airfields, depots and equipment.

This first appeared in January 2018.

North Korea has a very large army that may number 3.5 million men and women, although the quality of the forces is open to question and skepticism. The country also has a considerable armored capability. There are 4,200 tanks, 2,200 armored personnel carriers, 8,600 artillery pieces and 4,800 multiple rocket launchers. While most of these are of old designs, if North Korea is able to move them in position, cross the DMZ and mount an attack on the south, its army could quickly defeat the south.

Recommended: How North Korea Could Start a War

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