Despite numerous attempts to kill it off in recent years, the US Air Force’s (USAF's) Fairchild Republic A-10C Thunderbolt II, nicknamed the Warthog, continues to remain operational and looks set to do so for the foreseeable future, with no retirement date currently set for the type.
The A-10 was developed in response to an order on September 8, 1966, from the then Chief of Staff of the USAF, General John P McConnell. This sought design, development and acquisition of a specialised close air support (CAS) aircraft under the Attack Experimental (A-X) programme. A Request for Information for the A-X was issued to 21 potential suppliers on March 6, 1967.