After trying to retire the A-10 fleet for several years, claiming it needed to save its $500 million annual running costs, the US Air Force was finally overruled by Defense Secretary Ash Carter, who said the A-10 will remain in service until at least 2022.
“Today’s announcement confirms why we fought so hard and continue to fight to keep this plane flying. The A-10 is critical to our national security. It continues to demonstrate its value on the battlefield against ISIS, in Europe to deter Russian aggression, and on the border with North Korea. But make no mistake: this is still an early retirement. We’ve recently invested $1 billion into our A-10 fleet to keep it flying until at least 2028.
“No other plane can perform the tasks for which the A-10 is uniquely suited and no other weapon system we have has the same ability to protect troops’ lives on the ground. I’ll continue to lead the fight to ensure we keep the A-10 until a suitable alternative yet to be identified is developed, tested, and proven to do the mission.”
http://www.defense-aerospace.com/articles-view/release/3/170903/pentagon-delays-a_10-retirement-until-2022.html
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