Through an official statement issued on November 12, the U.S. Air Force (USAF) confirmed it will retire its last A-10 Thunderbolt II attack aircraft from South Korea in 2025. Osan Air Base will be the last overseas base maintaining this type of aircraft in operation. Specifically, a fleet of 24 units stationed there will begin to be withdrawn starting in January.
This decision brings to a close a history that began in 1982 with the arrival of the first A-10s in South Korea, which currently operate under the structure of the 25th Fighter Squadron, established in 1993. The main reason attributed to this decision is the USAF’s less favorable assessment of the A-10 as a platform potentially involved in large-scale conflicts, such as those that could arise with China or Russia. Accordingly, funds allocated to these aircraft will be redirected toward more modern alternatives, such as the F-35.
In line with this shift, the USAF has already outlined its plans to replace the aging A-10 fleet, as noted by Lieutenant General David R. Iverson: “By introducing advanced fourth- and fifth-generation aircraft such as our modernized F-16s along with the F-35 and F-15EX into the Pacific region, we are significantly enhancing our overall air combat capabilities in the Korean theater.”
Delving into details, it should be noted that modernization plans for the avionics of F-16 fighters stationed on the Korean Peninsula are already underway, as part of the Post Block Integration Team (PoBIT) program. Additionally, F-16 fighters were redeployed from Kunsan Air Base to the aforementioned Osan Air Base to create a large squadron that will undergo various combat tests over a one-year period. As for the F-35 and F-15EX, Lieutenant General Iverson mentioned their arrival at Kadena Air Base in Japan, the first overseas base to receive them.
Finally, it is worth noting that the retirement of the A-10s from the 25th Fighter Squadron in South Korea is not the first recent example of A-10 units being reassigned. Illustrative cases include the 175th Wing of the Maryland Air National Guard, now assigned to new roles in cyberspace operations; the 124th Fighter Wing of the Idaho Air National Guard, which will transition to operating F-16s; and Davis-Monthan Air Base (Arizona), which has begun transferring its A-10s to the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group (AMARG) for final disposition.
Images used for illustrative purposes.
You may also like: For the first time, a U.S. Air Force KC-135 refueled a Malaysian Su-30MKM fighter jet in-flight over the Pacific
