The A-10 Warthog Made a Rare Appearance in the Philippines

Earlier in December, A-10 Thunderbolt II close air support aircraft rarely appeared in Southeast Asia which could be a picture from the future.

The US aircraft cooperated with the Philippine Air Force, sending a clear message to China.

A-10 in the Indo-Pacific

Between December 9 and 13 A US Air Force A-10 Thunderbolt II close support aircraft from the 25th Fighter Squadron completed Dynamic Force Employment (DFE) as part of a bilateral exercise with the Philippine Air Force. The US aircraft operated alongside Philippine A-29B Super Tucanos, another close air support aircraft, and other conventional and special purpose aircraft.

“DFEs are important because they allow us to project air power at a time and place of our choosing with as little footprint as possible at the location where we conduct those DFEs,” Maj. Gregory St. Clair, Chief of Future Operations, Pacific Air Forces, he said in a press release. “In addition, it allows us to train closely with our allies and partners, which is our greatest strength.”

The Philippines is a key US ally in the Indo-Pacific. Too close China for comfort, the Philippines looks to the United States to ensure its sovereignty in the region. In exchange, the United States has a willing ally and a large expeditionary base for its aircraft, warships and other assets.

“Flying with the Philippine Air Force was amazing; I was impressed with how willing they were to work and collaborate with us to continue to strengthen this alliance that we have in the Indo-Pacific. We continue to promote stability and freedom to all our partners in the region,” said Capt. Ben Burmester, 25th Fighter Squadron project officer.

The 25th fighter squadron participated in training with eight A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft.

“The main goal of this DFE was to show that we are super close with our allies and partners so that we can train together and be effective,” added Major St. Clair. “DFEs are not a new concept and we will continue to do them in the future and will only get stronger if we continue to do them.”

A-10 Thunderbolt II is a favorite among ground forces. It is, after all, a dedicated close air support aircraft that can bring impressive firepower and save the day to a beleaguered ground unit. A-10 Thunderbolt IIs saved many infantry and special forces in Afghanistan and Iraq. However, A-10 Thunderbolt II it was all but retired by the Air Force and was saved only after Congress prohibited the service from retiring the venerable aircraft.

The aircraft’s greatest shortcoming is probably its inability to operate effectively in a permissive or semi-permissive operating environment. Designed to destroy enemy tanks and infantry, A-10 Thunderbolt II is slow and bulky. As such, its survivability rate in close quarters with powerful enemy air defenses is low. But in an environment of air supremacy, A-10 Thunderbolt II it can really shine.

Stavros Atlamazoglou is an experienced defense journalist specializing in special operations and a veteran of the Hellenic Army (national service with the 575th Marine Battalion and Army Headquarters). He received his bachelor’s degree from Johns Hopkins University and his master’s degree from Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). His work was presented in Business Insider, Sandboxxand SOFREP.

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