▲ This file photo, released by EPA, shows a U.S. Air Force A-10 Thunderbolt attack plane performing a fly-by during the NATO Air Defender 2023 exercise in Lechfeld, Germany, on June 9, 2023. (Yonhap)

US A-10 aircraft-decommissioning

U.S. Air Force to retire A-10 attack aircraft in S. Korea by fiscal year 2025

By Song Sang-ho

WASHINGTON, Nov. 12 (Yonhap) -- The U.S. military will decommission its aging fleet of A-10 Thunderbolt II attack aircraft stationed in South Korea by the fiscal year 2025, its Air Force said Tuesday, portraying the planned retirement as a transition to "cutting-edge" upgrades.

The decommissioning of the decadesold aircraft, better known as Warthogs, comes as the U.S. Air Force has been pushing for a military modernization initiative in the face of evolving security threats from potential adversaries.

The U.S. Forces Korea currently has 24 A-10 aircraft designed for close air support operations. It is expected to start retiring the aircraft in January, according to an official.

"The U.S. Air Force is set to complete a significant phase of its modernization strategy in fiscal year 2025," the Air Force said in a release.

"In key regions, including South Korea, it will transition away from its A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft in favor of advancing fourth-generation fighter jet upgrades and enhancing fourth- and fifth-generation aircraft integration."

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