Flight trackers lit up over the weekend as a formation of A-10C Thunderbolt IIs — callsign TABOR 71 — crossed the Atlantic toward RAF Lakenheath in England. Behind them, three KC-135 Stratotankers from RAF Mildenhall held station, feeding fuel to the tank-killers on their long transatlantic hop. Their destination: the front lines of Operation Epic Fury.
At least eight A-10Cs make up the TABOR 71 package, with two designated as spares. The jets belong to the 124th Fighter Wing out of Idaho's Gowen Field and the 127th Wing from Selfridge Air National Guard Base in Michigan. Before departure, as many as twenty Warthogs were spotted gathering at Portsmouth International Airport in New Hampshire — the standard jump-off point for Guard and Reserve units heading across the pond.
They won't be the first A-10s in the fight. Warthogs flew combat missions during the opening 48 hours of Epic Fury, and CENTCOM released imagery on March 15 showing them taking fuel mid-air while supporting operations against Iran. But this new wave signals something bigger.
From Tank Killer to Boat Hunter
The A-10's current role in the Persian Gulf would have seemed absurd a decade ago. Air Force General Dan Caine confirmed that Warthogs are now "engaged across the southern flank, targeting fast-attack watercraft in the Strait of Hormuz." The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has been sending swarms of small, fast boats at coalition shipping — and the A-10, with its legendary GAU-8 Avenger cannon and precision-guided APKWS rockets, turns out to be a devastatingly effective boat-killer.
The numbers tell the story. As of mid-March, U.S. forces had destroyed more than 120 Iranian vessels and 44 mine-laying craft in the Strait. The A-10's ability to loiter low and slow, visually acquire targets, and deliver withering fire makes it perfectly suited for this kind of work. No other platform in the U.S. inventory can do it quite the same way.
On land, the Warthog is doing what it has always done best: close air support over Iraq, hammering Iranian-backed militia positions threatening coalition forces.
The Ground Campaign Signal
Military analysts are reading the A-10 surge as a strong indicator that a ground component to Epic Fury may be coming. The Warthog exists for one reason — to protect troops on the ground. You don't send dozens of them to a theater unless you expect ground forces to need covering fire.
The Stimson Center put it bluntly: "No matter how precise or devastating, air strikes alone cannot topple a government, and Iran in 2026 is likely to emerge battered but not broken." On March 3, the IRGC ordered the evacuation of an entire city near the border — a move many interpret as preparation for ground confrontation.
"This is a wake-up call for anyone who wanted to retire this jet," said Mark Cancian, a senior adviser at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. "The A-10 is doing things no other aircraft in the inventory can replicate at this cost point."
A Jet That Refused to Die
The irony is hard to miss. Congress blocked the Air Force from retiring the A-10 — again — in the 2026 NDAA, mandating a minimum fleet of 103 airframes through September 2026. The Air Force has spent years trying to send the Warthog to the boneyard. Now it's sending them to war instead.
The combined U.S.-Israeli campaign — Israel calls it Operation Roaring Lion — has already struck more than 500 Iranian military targets. Four key ballistic missile production facilities and 29 launch bases have been hit. Russia is reportedly feeding intelligence to Iran, and the IRGC is blockading the Strait of Hormuz and threatening Gulf energy infrastructure.
"In war, whirlwinds of steel and fire descend upon you regardless of whether the technology is new or old — what matters is that it kills."
— Ernst Jünger, Storm of Steel
Into this cauldron flies the ugliest, most beloved jet in the American arsenal. The Warthog wasn't supposed to still be here. But wars have a way of proving bureaucrats wrong.
*Related: A Strafing Run, a MANPADS, and a Near Miss
Sources: Air & Space Forces Magazine; Air Force Times; The War Zone; Army Recognition
Related Questions
What is the A-10's primary mission?
The A-10 Thunderbolt II is built for close air support — protecting ground troops by attacking enemy vehicles, positions and personnel near friendly forces. Its survivability, long loiter time and powerful 30mm cannon make it ideal for the role, which is why it has been repeatedly saved from retirement.
Can the A-10 attack ships or boats?
Yes. Although designed as a tank-killer, the A-10 has proven effective against small fast-attack boats. Flying low and slow, it can visually acquire targets and engage them with its GAU-8 cannon and precision-guided APKWS rockets. This makes it useful against swarms of small craft in confined waters like the Strait of Hormuz.
What is the APKWS rocket?
The APKWS (Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System) is a laser-guided 70mm rocket that adds precision guidance to a cheap, widely used unguided rocket. Costing roughly $25,000 to $40,000 per round, it lets jets destroy drones, vehicles and boats far more cheaply than million-dollar missiles, similar to how a Typhoon fired drone-killing rockets.
What is the KC-135 Stratotanker?
The KC-135 Stratotanker is a US Air Force aerial refueling aircraft based on a 1950s Boeing jet design. It extends the range of fighters and bombers by transferring fuel mid-flight, allowing formations such as transatlantic A-10 deployments to cross oceans. Learn how aerial refueling actually works.
Why does the US Air Force keep trying to retire the A-10?
The Air Force has long sought to retire the A-10 to free budget for newer multi-role jets like the F-35, arguing the slow Warthog is vulnerable to modern air defenses. Congress has repeatedly blocked full retirement, and renewed combat demand has kept the jet in service.
What is the Strait of Hormuz?
The Strait of Hormuz is a narrow waterway between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula linking the Persian Gulf to the open ocean. A large share of the world's seaborne oil passes through it, making it one of the most strategically important chokepoints on Earth and a frequent flashpoint for naval confrontation.
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