A-10s Re-deploy to Middle East With New Mission, New Weapon

A-10 Thunderbolt II Jets with Tripled Bomb Loads Deployed to Middle East

The U.S. has dispatched a squadron of A-10 Thunderbolt II attack jets to the Middle East, specially modified to nearly triple their bomb loads. The move is aimed at boosting U.S. airpower in the region amid increased tensions with Iran-backed forces in Syria.

Increased Bomb Load

The Warthogs will get software updates enabling them to carry up to 16 Small Diameter Bombs within weeks, said Lt. Gen. Alexus Grynkewich, who leads Air Forces Central Command.

With each plane carrying four SDB bomb racks, a flight of four A-10s could bomb up to 64 ground targets, a nearly three-fold increase. Each plane can also carry laser-guided rockets along with its famed 30mm tankbusting gun.

“That’s a lot of targets that you can hit from an air-to-ground perspective,” Grynkewich said.

Flexibility and Capability

The rugged attack jet also gives commanders more flexibility because it can fly from short or dirt runways.

“We would be able to maneuver [the A-10] very rapidly to different locations and show an ability to do strike operations that really would be very difficult to to counter in any meaningful way should things escalate,” he said.

Threats in the Region

U.S. officials say Iranian-backed militia groups are active in Syria and occasionally attack American forces in the region. The A-10 could also be used to patrol the Strait of Hormuz, where Iranian go-fast boats have harassed warships and tankers.

“There certainly are maritime threats that are out there that are promulgated by the Iranians,” Grynkewich said. “The A-10 brings you a capability that can counter that, as well—kinetically if necessary with those rockets and the gun.”

Experimentation Phase

Air Forces Central aims to experiment with the A-10’s ability to shoot down enemy drones. Since the A-10 lacks a radar, officials plan to use a network of U.S. and allied radars to guide the attack jets to their uncrewed targets. The Warthog could then use its infrared targeting pod to engage a drone with heat-seeking missiles or laser-guided rockets, Grynkewich said.

“We’re in the experimentation phase, but conceptually, we think there’s a fair amount of promise,” he said. “The A-10 is going to be flying at a slower speed, which has a lot of advantage for when you’re going against one of these [drones].  We think that just that added capacity might provide us something really exciting in the space.”

Conclusion

The A-10 joins two squadrons of F-16s under Grynkewich’s control. “It’s a really good additive capability for the region,” he said. “What we have now allows us to maintain a reasonable, sustainable and sufficient posture.”