A-10 Warthogs target Iranian fast-attack craft in Strait of Hormuz

U.S. Air Force A-10 Thunderbolt II attack aircraft are now engaged in maritime interdiction operations along the southern flank of Operation Epic Fury, targeting Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps fast-attack watercraft in the Strait of Hormuz, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said Thursday.

“The A-10 Warthog is now engaged across the southern flank, targeting fast-attack watercraft in the Strait of Hormuz,” Air Force Gen. Dan Caine said during a Pentagon briefing on the operation.

The announcement marks an expansion of the Warthog’s confirmed role in Epic Fury. On March 15, U.S. Central Command released imagery of A-10C Thunderbolt IIs receiving fuel in flight while supporting the operation, the first official visuals of the aircraft in the campaign.

“The A-10 Thunderbolt II can loiter for hours, standing by and ready to execute a mission whenever needed,” CENTCOM said in the accompanying post on X.

Designed for close air support, the A-10 was built to fly low, slow and close to the fight, providing direct fire support to ground forces and, increasingly, to joint forces operating in contested littoral environments. Its titanium-armored cockpit, often referred to as a “titanium bathtub,” and redundant flight systems allow it to absorb significant punishment and continue flying under conditions that would ground less hardened aircraft.

Armed with a 30mm GAU-8/A Avenger cannon capable of firing 3,900 rounds per minute, AGM-65 Maverick missiles and APKWS laser-guided rockets, the A-10 can engage the small, agile surface craft the IRGC Navy has long relied upon to threaten shipping in the strait’s confined littoral environment. Its loiter capability allows crews to maintain persistent overwatch in ways that faster platforms cannot.

In a March 16 video posted to CENTCOM’s official X account, CENTCOM commander Adm. Brad Cooper said U.S. forces had destroyed more than 100 Iranian naval vessels and stated, “We will continue to rapidly deplete Iran’s ability to threaten freedom of navigation in and around the Strait of Hormuz.”

Roughly 20% of the world’s oil supply transits the strait, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

The A-10’s deployment in Epic Fury comes as Congress has moved to protect the platform from Air Force divestment efforts .

The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026 blocked the service’s plan to retire the remaining fleet, mandating a minimum inventory of 103 A-10s through Sept. 30, 2026, and requiring detailed transition planning.

Pentagon officials have not released specific A-10 sortie or strike figures for the operation.

美国参谋长联席会议主席周四表示，美国空军A-10“雷电II”攻击机目前正在“史诗狂怒行动”南翼进行海上拦截行动，目标是霍尔木兹海峡的伊斯兰革命卫队快速攻击艇。

“A-10疣猪攻击机目前正在南翼作战，目标是霍尔木兹海峡的快速攻击舰艇，”空军上将丹·凯恩在五角大楼举行的行动简报会上说。

此次公告标志着“疣猪”攻击机在“史诗狂怒”行动中的作用进一步扩大。3月15日，美国中央司令部发布了A-10C“雷电II”攻击机在空中加油支援行动的图片，这是该战机首次在战役中亮相。

美国中央司令部在 X 网站上发布的随附帖子中表示：“A-10 雷电 II 攻击机可以盘旋数小时，随时待命执行任务。”

A-10攻击机专为近距离空中支援而设计，其飞行方式为低空慢速贴近战场，为地面部队提供直接火力支援，并越来越多地为在交战近岸环境中作战的联合部队提供火力支援。其钛合金装甲座舱（常被戏称为“钛合金浴缸”）和冗余飞行系统使其能够承受巨大的损伤，并在其他防护能力较弱的飞机无法承受的情况下继续飞行。

A-10攻击机配备一门30毫米GAU-8/A“复仇者”机炮，射速可达每分钟3900发，并可携带AGM-65“小牛”导弹和APKWS激光制导火箭，能够有效打击伊朗伊斯兰革命卫队海军长期以来赖以威胁海峡狭窄近岸水域航运的小型、灵活的水面舰艇。其滞空能力使机组人员能够以其他速度更快的平台无法做到的方式，持续进行监视。

3 月 16 日，美国中央司令部在其官方 X 账号上发布了一段视频，视频中，中央司令部司令布拉德·库珀海军上将表示，美军摧毁了 100 多艘伊朗海军舰艇，并声明：“我们将继续迅速削弱伊朗威胁霍尔木兹海峡及其周边航行自由的能力。”

据美国能源信息署称，全球约 20% 的石油供应要经过该海峡。

在“史诗狂怒”行动中部署 A-10 之际，国会已采取行动保护该平台免受空军撤资的影响。

2026 财年国防授权法案阻止了该军种退役剩余机队的计划，规定到 2026 年 9 月 30 日，A-10 战机的最低库存量为 103 架，并要求制定详细的过渡计划。

五角大楼官员尚未公布此次行动中A-10的具体出动架次或打击次数。