The A-10 "Sea-Hog"

Why the A-10 Warthog’s new maritime role could extend the life of a great aircraft — and give America badly needed littoral strike power at exactly the right moment.

An A-10 flies past the Independence-class LCS USS Santa Barbara during an exercise in the Persian Gulf in early February 2026.

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by Rod D. Martin
April 7, 2026

BRRRRRT! The sound U.S. troops love to hear is now a nightmare for sailors on board Iranian IRGC fast attack boats in the Strait of Hormuz. The A-10 Warthog, everyone’s longtime favorite tank killer, has been repurposed as a boat buster. And the results are stunning.

According to Air Force Gen. Dan “Razin” Caine, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, U.S. forces have destroyed more than 120 naval vessels, including many fast attack boats, plus another 44 mine layers. The A-10 is the star of the show, flying low and slow, using its devastating 30mm gun to turn IRGC fast boats into scrap metal. And as we speak, more A-10s are on their way to the Gulf.