Even as the U.S. Air Force works to retire its fleet of A-10 Thunderbolt IIs, Warthogs are still proving useful in the ongoing fight against ISIS. And now, the U.S. military is sending additional Warthogs to the Middle East. It’s part of the latest build up of U.S. military power, as fighting ramps up against Houthi forces in Yemen.
The 124th Fighter Wing announced it was deploying more than 300 airmen and “multiple” A-10s to the CENTCOM area of responsibility. The troops and aircraft, flown by members of the 190th Fighter Squadron, left Idaho on Saturday, March 29. The exact number of A-10s was not disclosed, beyond “several” being deployed. The Idaho State Journal reports that the troops are on a 180-day deployment.
The 124th Fighter Wing’s A-10s are the latest to deploy to the Middle East. The close air support aircraft have repeatedly been sent to the CENTCOM area of responsibility in different American military buildup periods since October 2023, when the Israeli war in Gaza began. Most recently additional A-10s arrived in the fall of 2024.
