USAF Official in Charge of A-10s Says Re-Wing Program Is "Not Going to Happen"

A-10 USAF

At a certain point, political opposition may not be enough to prevent more than 100 Warthogs from ending up unflyable.

JOSEPH TREVITHICKJAN 18, 2018 12:32 PM EST

The top civilian in charge of the U.S. Air Force’s A-10 Warthog program has reportedly told other service officials that a critical re-wing program for the aircraft will almost certainly remain incomplete, which means more than a third of the total A-10 fleet will end up grounded or sent to the bone yard for good. If true, this would be just the latest in a long string of efforts to deliberately hobble the fleet and force the type into retirement.  

On Jan. 17, 2018, the Project on Government Oversight (POGO) reported that Todd Mathes, the A-10 Program Element Manager for Air Combat Command, the Air Force’s top warfighting command, had made the service’s position clear at a routine review meeting. Individuals in the room had disclosed the remarks to the private organization, which advocates for various reforms within the U.S. military, on the condition of anonymity, apparently fearing retaliation for speaking out about the plan. They no doubt remembered how now retired Air Force Major General James Post implied to his subordinates in December 2014 that offering support for the Warthog in public or in letters to their representatives in Congress was tantamount to treason.

Todd Mathes stressed that a rebooted re-wing program for the Warthogs “was not going to happen,” the anonymous individuals told POGO. This in turn would allow the Air Force to eliminate three A-10 squadrons, reducing the total number from nine to six. This is an idea the service floated in 2017, only to meet significant resistance from the aircraft’s supporters in Congress.