As Sen. Marco Rubio wrote in his article "What the US should do with its A-10 Thunderbolt" for Defense News, US should not simply dispose of this venerable plane; in the hands of international partners, it can continue advancing the US national interest.
Aording to him, to prepare to counter Beijing in a future conflict, USA must make the best possible use of own limited hangar space and procurement dollars. "To do that, we must retire the A-10, as senior military leaders have called for. This will make room for aircraft like the F-35 Lightning II, and free funds for the development and construction of next-generation missiles and missile defense systems, which will be invaluable in any future Indo-Pacific conflict, whether that’s in Taiwan, the South China Sea or the Korean Peninsula" said Senator.
Read more: Ukraine Needs Multirole Fighters Are More Than A-10 Thunderbolt – Minister Reznikov
At the same time Marco Rubio emphasise: :"The A-10 can still do a lot of good if transferred to allies and partners in need of it. The most obvious example is Ukraine, which is preparing to mount a counteroffensive against Soviet-era tanks and entrenched Russian positions. At the recent G7 summit, President Joe Biden stated he supports training Ukrainian forces to operate F-16 Fighting Falcons, a first step to allies providing the planes to Ukraine. But even if we accept the president’s position, there is good reason to wonder if an air-to-air fighter makes the most sense. Ukraine’s defense intelligence chief, for one, believes Ukraine would fare better with A-10s. Moreover, F-16s require 6,000 feet of tarmac — increasingly rare in bombed-out Ukraine — to take off and land, while A-10s only require 4,000 feet of dirt runway".
Beyond Ukraine, potential beneficiaries of an A-10 transfer program as Marco Rubio said, could be African countries in the Sahel fighting ISIS and Boko Haram, or even Latin American nations combating paramilitary rebels and drug cartels in the jungle.
On his opinion, phasing out the A-10 by transferring it to allies and partners is the smart thing to do. Not only would it help America adapt to the challenges of the 21st century, it would also help american friends confront their own challenges without deep U.S. intervention. That’s killing two birds with one stone — the best kind of public policy.
Read more: Will the A-10 Thunderbolt II Help And Should the Armed Forces of Ukraine Count On It At All?
