Is This The End Of The Air Force's A-10?

The U.S. Air Force could retire the A-10 "Warthog," despite support for the plane from infantrymen and pilots. These types of clashes occur whenever the military tries to mothball a weapon. Staff Sgt. Melanie Norman/U.S. Air Force

Air Force's Beloved 'Warthog' Targeted For Retirement -- NPR

Jeff Duford is standing next to an A-10, one of the most beloved planes of all time. It's painted green, a clue that it was designed for a threat that has disappeared — it was built at the height of the Cold War.

"The reason why it's painted this way is because at that time, this airframe was expected to stop Soviet tanks from rolling through Germany," says Duford, curator of the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force in Dayton, Ohio. "So it's painted to kind of match the terrain that one would find in Central Europe."

But the Air Force is facing some lean years ahead, and efforts to balance the budget now threaten to ground the 343 A-10s — and that has led to a backlash. Defenders of the plane say it can't be retired until the military has a replacement that is just as good at protecting ground troops.

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My Comment: It always comes down to money .... and in this case not enough of it.