US Air Force/Master Sgt. Blake R. Borsic
- After years of debate, Congress has approved a US Air Force plan to begin retiring A-10 Thunderbolts.
- The A-10 is the only US military aircraft purpose-built to provide close air support to ground forces.
- But training documents raise questions about the Air Force's focus on that mission going forward.
After repeatedly blocking the US Air Force's attempts to retire the A-10 Thunderbolt II, Congress late last year approved a plan to decommission 21 of the venerable ground-attack aircraft, which is the only US military aircraft purpose-built for close air support.
Those retirements would shrink the Air Force's A-10 fleet to 260 aircraft, and Air Force leaders plan to continue decommissioning A-10s in the years ahead.