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US Air Force A-10s to exit South Korea in favour of fourth- and fifth-gen fighter jets

20th November 2024 - 16:25 GMT | by Lucy Powell in London

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In 2023, the USAF announced that it was intending to retire all A-10 ‘Warthog’ Thunderbolt II aircraft by 2029. (Photo: USAF)

The US Air Force will transition away from its ageing A-10 aircraft in 2025, in favour of updating and enhancing its F-16, and introducing F-15EX and F-35 Lightning II jets in the region.

The US Air Force (USAF) is planning to move its 25^th Fighter Squadron at Osan Air Base in South Korea away from its A-10 Thunderbolt II, in favour of enhancing its fourth- and fifth-gen fighter jet capabilities. According to US officials, the aircraft will begin a phased withdrawal from the fighter squadron, starting in January 2025.

The change in strategy represents a “pivotal upgrade” in USAF capabilities in the region, according to the secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs. The decision also formed part of the US Department of Defense’s longer-standing modernisation plan to retire more than 1,000

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