US Air Force Retires Tank Destroyer Placed In South Korea Next Year

A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft landed at South Korea's Osan Air Base. (Wikimedia Commons/US Air Force/Capt. Robert Howard)

JAKARTA - The United States plans to retire its famous fighter aircraft because of its reputation as the destroyer of the A-10 Thunderbolt II tank stationed in South Korea starting in fiscal year 2025, after serving for 42 years.

The plane became a legend along with its achievements as a tank destroyer on the battlefields of Iraq and Afghanistan.

However, the aircraft subsonic attack must be retired, along with the modernization of the Uncle Sam's air force in facing security challenges that continue to develop from potential enemies.

"The US Air Force will complete an important phase of its modernization strategy in the 2025 fiscal year," the Air Force said in a release.

Fiscal year runs from October 1 on one calendar year until September 30 in the next calendar year.

The US Air Force in Korea currently has 24 A-10 aircraft. It is estimated that it will begin launching the aircraft in January, according to an official.

"In key areas, including Korea, they will switch from A-10 Thunderbolt II to fourth generation fighter jet upgrades and increase the integration of fourth and fifth generation aircraft," the air force said.

After starting operations in the 1970s, the A-10 Thunderbolt II, dubbed Warthogs, was designed for close-range air support for ground forces by involving armored vehicles and tanks, and providing support for rapid action against enemy ground forces, according to the air force.

The US military has upgraded its F-16 fighter jet fleet with the first upgraded jets starting to arrive last year. They have three squadrons of F-16 fighter jets in Korea, with each squadron consisting of about 25 jets.