The U.S. Air Force has plans to retire the A-10, which provides close air support for ground troops in favor of Lockheed Martin's F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. Photo by Master Sgt. David Kujawa/U.S. Air National Guard

WASHINGTON, Nov. 10 (UPI) -- The U.S. Air Force may delay the retirement of the A-10 Warthog attack aircraft, according to a top Air Force official.

The Air Force initially had plans to retire the A-10, a popular jet recognizable from its nose-mounted machine gun, in favor of Lockheed Martin's new F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, a program that has been met with mixed reviews from military and defense analysts. However, Air Combat Command Gen. Herbert Carlisle notes the attack craft has seen an increase in demand.


"We have to retire the airplanes," Carlisle told The Hill. "But I think moving it to the right and starting it a bit later and maybe keeping around the airplane a bit longer is something that's being considered based on things as they are today and what we see in the future."

Carlisle added increased demand for the A-10 stems from the slow procurement rate for the F-35, which continued to undergo technical reviews and tests, and emerging threats around the globe that call for immediate air-to-ground close support, which the A-10 specializes in.

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The decision to suspend the Warthog's retirement is likely to be welcomed by troops on the ground and pilots alike. A former A-10 pilot-turned-congresswoman voiced doubts about the F-35's abilities to match the A-10's close support capabilities in October.

"I am concerned that this airplane is replacing all of our legacy fighters — the whole jack of all trades, master of none," Rep. Martha McSally, R-Ariz., told the Air Force Times. She went on to add Pentagon officials have noted the A-10 can sustain heavier hits than the F-35 and can carry more ammunition.

The Air Force's A-10 boasts for high maneuverability and ability to carry a wide variety of conventional munitions, including cluster bombs, general purpose bombs, joint attack munitions and several others. The aircraft was first delivered to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona, in October 1975.

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