Summary Attack aircraft like the A-10 and Su-25 are disappearing without direct replacements, affecting close air support capabilities. The A-10 has a specialized role as a dedicated ground attack airplane, excelling in Desert Storm but facing survivability concerns. Multirole fighters, helicopters, and drones will fill the gap left by retiring attack aircraft.
Attack aircraft have long been one of the main types of fighter jets , but it seems they are a dying breed and will disappear in the coming years. Since the 1960s, the world has seen only two types of dedicated attack aircraft widely introduced - the Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II (in phased retirement) and the Soviet Sukhoi Su-25 Frogfoot (actively fighting almost every day). However, both aircraft are out of production, and there are no directly planned replacements.
Attack airplanes To be sure, other aircraft can perform close air support attack roles. Many multirole fighters, various trainer/light attack aircraft, the formidable AC-130 gunship, and attack helicopters like the Apache and the Russian Ka-52 Alligator can do that. However, none of these are dedicated ground attack airplanes in the same way the A-10 and Su-25 are.
After all, the A-10 is the only aircraft in the US inventory that is purely designated "A" for attack. The definition of attack aircraft, according to the Encyclopedia Britannica , is a " type of military aircraft that supports ground troops by making strafing and low-level bombing attacks on enemy ground forces, tanks, and other armored vehicles, and installations. Attack aircraft are typically slower and less maneuverable than air combat fighters but carry a large and varied load of weapons (automatic cannon, machine guns, rockets, guided missiles, and bombs) and have the ability to fly close to the ground.
" The A-10 Warthog is renowned for its massive cannon, but how well can it maneuver? Retirement of the A-10 Warthog The A-10 airframe was built around its high-power 30 mm GAU-8 Avenger rotary autocannon . It was designed as a tank killer that could strafe tanks and provide close air support for troops. Where the A-10 indisputably excels is in setting the comments sections alight.
Some claim the A-10 excelled in Desert Storm, while others say it didn't. Plus, some will add that it rarely uses its autocannon anyway and instead tends to use missiles (at least in contested environments). One can ask why seemingly no foreign countries were interested in purchasing the aircraft (although the US is now looking to send retired A-10s to Jordan , and Jordan may or may not be the A-10s mystery buyer).
A-10 Warthog Dates produced: 1972-1984 Number produced: 716 Current inventory: 281 Number retiring FY 2025: 56 Planned full retirement date: 2029 Operators: US Air Force (possibly Jordan Air Force in the future) The US Air Force seems to have concluded that the A-10 has no place on the modern battlefield. It is now being progressively retired without a direct replacement and is expected to be fully withdrawn by 2029. Multi-role fighters, attack helicopters, and drones must provide close air support.
The A-10 may have been useful in fighting against insurgents in the Middle East, but it is likely useless in any peer-on-peer war in the Eastern Pacific. The Warthog has faithfully served for 47 years. We know look at some of the historic missions of the A-10.
The Soviet Su-25 Frogfoot going strong The Soviet/Russian Sukhoi Su-25 (NATO reporting name Frogfoot ) offers an interesting perspective on attack aircraft (it is more or less the Soviet answer to the American A-10). Whereas many will say the A-10 is not survivable on the modern battlefield, the Su-25 has been used on the frontline continuously by both Russia and Ukraine for the full duration of the war. While many Su-25s have been lost, that is still only a fraction of the number Russia has at its disposal.
The Su-25 first flew in 1975 and was produced in Tbilisi, modern-day Georgia (these facilities were destroyed by Russia in the 2008 Russo-Georgian War). The Su-25s have been out of production for years. But that may not be the end of the story.
Georgia is reportedly trying (and failing) to restart production, while Belarus is claiming they will start to produce the Su-25 Frogfoot for Russia. This would indicate there is demand for new Su-25 attack aircraft. In lieu of new builds, the attrition of battle losses and wear and tear means the Su-25 Frogfoot is currently on a one-way ticket out.
Sukhoi Su-25 Frogfoot Dates produced: 1978-1989 (some production possible until 2010s) Russian Air Force inventory: pre-war approx. 190 Number produced: approx. 1,000 (approx.
932 between 1978 and 1979 excluding Soviet Su-25K exports) Lost in Ukraine: 33 Russian and 20 Ukrainian Su-25s visibly confirmed lost per open-source Oryx blog Planned retirement: n/a Operators: Ukraine, Russia, many others Su-25s have been used in many wars, including by the Iraqi Air Force in the 1980-188 Iran-Iraq War, the Russo-Georgian War, the Syrian Civil War, the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh War, various wars in Africa (including the ongoing Sudanese Civil War), and various other conflicts. Ukraine also says , " The Su-25T (“Tank”) is a specialized anti-tank version that was quite successful during the Chechen War ." While it has been used against insurgents with little air defense capabilities (like the US with the A-10s used against the Taliban), the Ukraine War is something else entirely, and it seems to have proven at least somewhat survivable and relevant to that particular war.
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