MIDDLE RIVER, Md. — Too slow and too inaccurate.
The military has long considered retiring the A-10 Warthogs.
But having proven their worth as tank busters in Iraq and Afghanistan putting down 70 rounds per second of 30 millimeter rounds that could pierce any type of armor in a matter of seconds, Baltimore County House delegates are pushing back on the Air Force plan to retire them for good.
“The A-10 is a great plane,” said Del. Ryan Nawrocki, (R) Maryland, “Certainly, we would like to save the A-10. I think it has a role in the modern Air Force and in the modern Air National Guard, but there’s been some discussion we’re going to phase out the A-10.”
More worrisome perhaps is the fact that the Air Force has not indicated it has any plans to replace the A-10s with more modern fighter planes, and every delegate has signed off on a letter directed to the Air Force secretary sharing that concern.
“It’s basically asking the Secretary of the Air Force to preserve a flying mission at Martin State Airport, because it is critically important to our nation’s national defense,” said Nawrocki, “We’re so close to Washington, D.C. This is a big deal not only for Maryland, but for the country."
Even if the Air Force has written off the A-10s, delegates argue that failing to replace them would certainly take its toll on the local economy.
The letter cites the more than 600 pilots and maintenance personnel who would suddenly lose their jobs.
“That is just direct jobs. Not the many thousands of other jobs that are indirect,” said Nawrocki, “We’re talking about a significant impact not only to the local economy, but frankly, the state and the regional economy if this were to go away.”
The state recently approved funds to lengthen the runway at the airport to accommodate replacement aircraft, transport planes or even commercial flights should the A-10s disappear for good.
