Pentagon Prepares A-10 Warthog Surge As Mideast Fleet Set To Double

The Department of War is preparing to double its fleet of Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt IIs, better known in the aviation community as “Warthogs,” in the Middle East in the very near term, The New York Times reported Wednesday.

The surge of additional Warthogs, as many as 18, on top of the roughly dozen A-10s already operating in the region, has already been used to sink Iranian boats in the Hormuz chokepoint and strike Iran-backed militias in Iraq, according to the NYT, citing DoW officials. The expanded fleet suggests a broader aviation campaign in and around Hormuz and could even play a critical role in supporting a potential seizure of Kharg Island, Iran’s main oil hub in the northern Persian Gulf.

U.S. military sustainers are on top of their game. pic.twitter.com/EK9eqF4fc8

— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) March 20, 2026

As of early 2026, the US Air Force had 162 A-10s remaining in its inventory. Air & Space Forces Magazine reported the service had 219 A-10s as of late 2024, then cut 57 aircraft in fiscal 2025, leaving 162 going into fiscal 2026.

The surge in A-10s suggests that as many as 30 could soon be operating in the Gulf region, representing about 18.5% of the USAF’s fleet.

The A-10’s most fearsome weapon is the 30mm GAU-8/A seven-barrel Gatling gun, which fires at an astonishing 3,900 rounds per minute. Typical A-10 armament also includes:

AGM-65 Maverick missiles

Laser- and GPS-guided bombs Mk-82 500-lb and Mk-84 2,000-lb bombs

Unguided and laser-guided 2.75-inch rockets

AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles

Chaff, flares, and jammer pods for self-protection

The NYT cited flight-tracking data indicating that US-based A-10s heading to the region have been stopping at Royal Air Force Lakenheath, a base in England, before continuing on to the Gulf region.

#BREAKING 12 US A-10C Thunderbolt II ‘Warthogs’ just landed at RAF Lakenheath in the UK en route to the Middle East for Operation Epic Fury. pic.twitter.com/ZcBXcStozP

— MCBN (@MCBNNEWSS) April 1, 2026

“The planes could be used to help U.S. ground forces seize territory near the Strait of Hormuz, the crucial waterway Iran has effectively closed, or Kharg Island, Iran’s main oil hub in the northern Persian Gulf,” the outlet said. 

Earlier this month, Zoltan Pozsar of Ex Uno Plures noted that the Trump administration is “methodically building a portfolio of assets” from Venezuela to the Panama Canal to Iran’s oil flows and the Strait of Hormuz, a strategy aimed at reasserting American dominance, securing the empire for years to come, and tightening the screws on Beijing after last year’s rare earths stunt.

“Iran and Kharg Island are next. Iran is a Chinese vassal and so Kharg Island is basically a Chinese asset. Iran and Kharg Island will soon be a U.S. asset. The same with the SoH – it will soon be a U.S. asset,” Pozsar noted.

And this. 

In case you missed… Every Army Base and Army National Guard Base in America was training and testing on Black Hawk and Apaches today. Every one. Normal when you’re definitely not invading a country. pic.twitter.com/nxMsr8w86i

— Roger (@rdd147) April 1, 2026

Checking in today here are the BlackHawks…

Notice Fort Cavazos, TX, the largest Blackhawk base in the country. Nothing. Most blackhawks have been shipped, a few remain for training, and a lot of training happening 24-7 pic.twitter.com/cLMw7AabhZ

— Roger (@rdd147) April 1, 2026

Is this why we are moving excavators via train to the naval boat yards in San Diego?

Maybe it’s just for sand castles in Iran.

They’re gonna go for it.

Watch what they do. Not what they say. https://t.co/VTFYKxG5G3 pic.twitter.com/6PzYFYcv5E

— EconstratPB (@EconstratPB) March 31, 2026

The surge in A-10s suggests the US is preparing for a dirtier, more prolonged campaign centered on Hormuz, coastal targets, and possibly a seizure or raid of Kharg Island or others.