Cookies on the Business Insider India website

Business Insider India has updated its Privacy and Cookie policy. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the better experience on our website. If you continue without changing your settings, we\'ll assume that you are happy to receive all cookies on the Business Insider India website. However, you can change your cookie setting at any time by clicking on our Cookie Policy at any time. You can also see our Privacy Policy.

Here's exactly what the A-10 does, and why the Air Force would be crazy to retire it

Alex LockieAug 31, 2016, 02:24 IST

US Air Force members troubleshoot an electronic error on an A-10 Thunderbolt II on April 25, 2007, on the flightline at Al Asad Air Base, Iraq.US Air Force

A new report from the Government Accountability Office dives deep into the all important question the Air Force and the Senate Armed Services Committee have been wrestling with for years - should, or can, the Air Force divest itself of the A-10?

The report, thoroughly researched and evaluated, gives a clear answer - definitely not.

Even with the looming adoption of the all important F-35, the report finds that retiring the A-10 would leave significant capability gaps behind, and that the Air Force currently has concrete plans to bridge those gaps.

In the slides below, find out exactly what the A-10 does, and how the Air Force, whether they admit it or not, just can't live without it.