Attack aircraft - tag archive on AERONAUT.media

End of an Era: The Retirement of the American AV-8B Harrier II

Andrij Kharuk — Fri, 05 Jun 2026 09:36:47 +0000

On June 3, 2026, a notable event took place at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, as the United States Marine Corps officially retired its last AV-8B Harrier II attack aircraft from active service. This provides an opportunity to revisit the history of the AV-8B Harrier II program. A British-American Project In 1972, the American […]

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Last of Mohicans: A-4 Skyhawk Attack Aircraft in Argentina and Brazil

Andrij Kharuk — Tue, 02 Jun 2026 12:05:54 +0000

On May 14, 2026, the Argentine Air Force retired its last A-4AR attack aircraft from operational service. This marked the end of the Skyhawk’s combat career in one of the two remaining countries that still operated the type in their military aviation inventory. This development provides an opportunity to take a closer look at the history […]

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Turkish breakthrough: Hürjet spotted carrying weaponry that could shift the balance of power

Julia Alexandrova — Mon, 25 May 2026 12:30:30 +0000

The Hürjet prototype trainer aircraft has recently been spotted in flight equipped with underwing hardpoints for external weapons carriage. This observation may indicate that Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) is seriously pursuing the development of a combat-capable variant aimed at the competitive international light attack aircraft market. The image of the aircraft in this configuration appeared publicly […]

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New life for a legend: US Warthogs receive a unique refueling system

Julia Alexandrova — Mon, 25 May 2026 12:27:44 +0000

Recently published imagery confirms that the A-10C attack aircraft is now conducting missions in the Middle East equipped with a new refueling boom adapter. This capability appears to have been implemented in a notably short timeframe. As previously reported, the ability of the “Warthog” (A-10) to refuel via a boom-based system was first demonstrated in early […]

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Legendary “Warthog” Returns: U.S. Air Force Unexpectedly Cancels Retirement of A-10

Julia Alexandrova — Tue, 21 Apr 2026 15:29:53 +0000

The leadership of the United States Air Force has decided to extend the service life of the A-10 Thunderbolt II attack aircraft until at least 2030. This effectively pauses the previously approved plan to retire the close air support platform from active service, a decision linked to ongoing combat operations in the Middle East. Air […]

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American Attack Aircraft, Part 14: Career of Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II

Andrij Kharuk — Mon, 02 Mar 2026 12:19:41 +0000

The A-10A Thunderbolt II entered serial production in 1975, and on September 30 of the following year, the first aircraft were officially accepted into service by the United States Air Force Tactical Command. Production rates were relatively high, peaking at 13 aircraft per month. By 1984, a total of 715 units had been built, including […]

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A-10 Thunderbolt II Retires After 40 Years of Service

Julia Alexandrova — Tue, 24 Feb 2026 13:01:55 +0000

The Ogden Air Logistics Complex is preparing to perform the final maintenance on an A-10 Thunderbolt II before its departure from Hill Air Force Base at the end of February, marking the close of a long-standing era supporting one of the U.S. Air Force’s most recognizable aircraft. According to Kendall Johnson from the 75th Air […]

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American Attack Aircraft, Part 13: New Generation, the Precursors to the A-10A

Andrij Kharuk — Sat, 21 Feb 2026 12:42:55 +0000

After the Second World War, the evolution of attack aviation in the U.S. Air Force was effectively interrupted, and attack aircraft as a distinct branch were formally eliminated. The close air support mission had already been largely assumed by fighter-bombers during World War II, and during the Korean War (1950–1953) this category transitioned from piston-engine […]

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American Attack Aircraft, Part 12: Lessons from the Luftwaffe

Andrij Kharuk — Mon, 26 Jan 2026 11:06:39 +0000

The highly effective use of German dive bombers during the Polish campaign and the Western Blitzkrieg naturally drew the interest of the U.S. Army in this type of aircraft. There was no need to start from scratch, as the U.S. Navy had already been operating dive bombers successfully for about a decade; these aircraft were […]

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American Attack Aircraft, Part 11: Near-Bomber Designs of the Second World War

Andrij Kharuk — Tue, 06 Jan 2026 16:22:24 +0000

Readers may recall that in the tenth article of this series on U.S. attack aircraft of the interwar period, we noted the gradual evolution of this class toward light bombers. Gun armament, which American specialists in the 1920s and early 1930s had considered the primary weapon of attack aviation, receded into a secondary role. Bombs […]

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