Reasons why the stealth A-10 Warthog is a colossal waste of time

Summary and Main Idea: The “Warthog,” or A-10 Thunderbolt II, is admired for its exceptional agility, short time and low altitude performance, among other ground support attributes. Requests for a more covert version fail to recognize that its role is to alert enemies of danger before they attack.

-It is not clear what the purpose of concepts like the hypothetical A-14 Wild Wolf with its stealth characteristics is. Advanced aircraft such as the F-35 Lightning II, which operate differently than the A-10, are essential to modern warfare.

-Instead of building the stealthy A-10, the Air Force should focus on future combat requirements rather than refining an aircraft designed for uncontested skies.

This author was outside on a pleasant, bright early autumn day in 2022 when he heard a distinct noise that soon grew louder. It was a Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II, single-seat, straight-wing, twin-turbofan, subsonic attack plane that entered service in 1976. I recognized it immediately.

I could see there was more than one plane as the boom was getting louder and coming back. It wasn’t unbearably loud, but loud enough that soon everyone in my neighborhood was peeking out to see the plane. Although I live not far from Selfridge Air National Guard Base (ANGB), Michigan, it’s not often that I get to see planes flying so low to the ground.

However, on a September afternoon last year, I was delighted to see four planes parked next to me and getting ready to cross Lake St. Clair. Observing the flight of the plane, I can only guess which are America’s enemies the ground in the Balkans, Afghanistan, and Iraq must have thought when they heard the sound of the approaching aircraft.

This point is necessary to make as there has been a debate about whether the United States Air Force would have a need for a stealthier A-10. However, the argument misunderstands the role of the aircraft – officially designated Thunderbolt but known to its pilots and crews as the “Warthog.” 

To be clear, the A-10 was not intended to attack the enemy.

Rather, it is intended to give a loud and unmistakable warning of its flourishing entrance, before it pours out hellfire. If you are in an armored truck and you hear an A-10 coming, get out into the open.

Low-Speed A-10 Warbird

The A-10 was designed as a highly accurate weapons-delivery aircraft for exceptional maneuverability at low airspeeds and altitudes. The aircraft is capable of operating at a 1,000-foot ceiling (303.3 m) with a 1.5-mile (2.4-kilometer) line of sight, and can hover close to conflict sites for extended periods of time. The Warthog can operate in and out of close proximity to the front lines due to its short takeoff and landing distance and wide combat radius. Additionally, A-10C pilots can fly their missions in near total darkness using night vision goggles.

It was specifically developed as a ground support aircraft, which explains why it remains in service nearly five decades since it first took flight.

Could Stealth Improve the A-10?

Not long ago, there were Internet rumors about conceptual drawings of the fully fictional A-14 Wild Wolf by aviation artist Rodrigo Avella. His amazing dummy fighter combined elements of the A-10 Warhog with more contemporary features, such as the aforementioned stealth.

It enhances an already excellent aircraft, enabling the A-10 to fly in contested airspace and conduct low-altitude attacks against ground targets.

Although the pictures are truly stunning, they completely miss the message of the A-10’s purpose. What’s more, it fails to mention that there is a suitable replacement for the A-10.

The Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II was designed to perform multiple missions, one of which was ground attack. Although it is used against ground targets, the F-35 will never perform as well as the A-10. This is not an attack on the F-35, but an acknowledgment of the evolution of air combat operations. Why isn’t the US Navy developing stealth dive bombers to attack enemy aircraft carriers should the Air Force develop a stealth ground-attack aircraft?

The A-10 was intended to serve as a backup system for more sophisticated anti-aircraft systems such as Russia’s S-400 Triumf. Similarly, contemporary aircraft, such as the F-35, are unlikely to fly over a rural road converted into a hardened air base, and there is no evidence that the unreal A-14 can do it.

Finally, the A-10 is shown to be a fantastic aircraft; Still, there is a lot of hype surrounding its capabilities. It is popularly believed that they destroyed more than 900 Iraqi tanks in the 1991 Gulf War. It was later discovered that the true number was probably closer to 300 tanks. Although still outnumbered, Ukrainian soldiers have used drones and man-portable anti-tank missiles to destroy Russian tanks.

No Need for Stealth A-10

Said another way, future conflicts may not require the use of aircraft like the A-14. The pictures can provide some enjoyable “flying fun” and it would be fun to fly one of these planes in a video game. Nevertheless, rather than trying to develop an aircraft capable of operating in an environment where control of the skies has never been challenged, the Air Force should focus on fighter aircraft for the future.

About the Author

In his twenty-year journalism career, Michigan-based author Peter Susseau has written for more than forty magazines, newspapers and websites, publishing more than three thousand pieces. He frequently writes on foreign affairs, military hardware, firearms history, and cyber security. Additionally, Peter contributes writing to Forbes.

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