--- title: "More A-10 Warthogs deploy to the Middle East" description: "\"Several\" A-10 Warthogs and more than 300 airmen are deploying as the U.S. military builds up forces in the region amid fighting in Yemen." date: "2025-03-30" modified: "2025-03-30" authors: - name: "Nicholas Slayton" job_title: "Contributing Editor" link: "https://taskandpurpose.com/authors/nicholas-slayton/" url: "https://taskandpurpose.com/news/a10-warthogs-middle-east-houthis/" categories: - "Aircraft" - "Around the World" - "Middle East" - "News" - "Tech & Tactics" tags: - "adsafety" - "central command" --- # More A-10 Warthogs deploy to the Middle East ![An A-10 Thunderbolt II sits on a runway, mountains in the background.]() *An A-10 Thunderbolt II from the Idaho Air National Guard prepares for takeoff on March 29, 2025. U.S. Air National Guard photo by Tech Sgt. Mercedee Wilds* Even as the U.S. Air Force works to retire its fleet of A-10 Thunderbolt IIs, Warthogs are still proving useful in the ongoing fight against ISIS. And now, the U.S. military is sending additional Warthogs to the Middle East. It’s part of the latest build up of U.S. military power, as fighting ramps up against Houthi forces in Yemen. The 124th Fighter Wing announced it was deploying more than 300 airmen and “multiple” A-10s to the CENTCOM area of responsibility. The troops and aircraft, flown by members of the 190th Fighter Squadron, left Idaho on Saturday, March 29. The exact number of A-10s was not disclosed, beyond “several” being deployed. The Idaho State Journal [reports]() that the troops are on a 180-day deployment. The 124th Fighter Wing’s A-10s are the latest to deploy to the Middle East. The close air support aircraft have repeatedly been sent to the CENTCOM area of responsibility in different American military buildup periods since October 2023, when the Israeli war in Gaza began. Most recently additional A-10s arrived in the fall of 2024. The aircraft have played a major role in combat operations in the region. Between November and January, A-10s were part of [several aerial attack missions]() against ISIS militants in Iraq and Syria. In November, they participated in airstrikes against ISIS forces inside eastern Syria. The aircraft also provided aerial support for ground troops fighting ISIS militants in mountainous parts of Iraq in a days-long campaign in late December. Despite regularly deploying the aircraft, the U.S. Air Force is working to retire its fleet of a little more than 200 A-10s by fiscal year 2028, with close air support roles being taken over by fighter jets and bombers. Operations against ISIS targets in Iraq and Syria have been steadily ongoing, but fighting in the Middle East has escalated this month with a [restart of hostilities]() with Houthi forces. The group, which controls much of Yemen, announced it would resume attacks on ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden in response to humanitarian aid blockades into Gaza. Since March 15, U.S. forces have repeatedly bombed Houthi sites in Sana’a and other locations, and intercepted missiles and drones fired towards U.S. Navy assets. The exact number of airstrikes since March 15 has not been disclosed, although CENTCOM has characterized it as ongoing “24/7” on social media. The airmen and aircraft from the 124th Fighter Wing who are deploying are part of a wider surge of American military forces to the region. Last week the USS Carl Vinson Carrier Strike Group, including Carrier Air Wing 2, was [ordered]() to the Middle East to join the USS Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group, which has been carrying out many of the operations against Houthi forces. Meanwhile [B-2 Spirit bombers]() were sent to Diego Garcia, an island in the Indian Ocean, which is often used as a staging ground for operations in the Middle East. ## The latest on Task & Purpose - **The Army’s** [**Master Combat Badges**]() **will be coming to soldiers this month** - **Air Force** [**shoots down Houthi drones**]() **launched at Navy carrier strike group** - **Medal of Honor recipient depicted in movie ‘Glory’** [**erased**]() **from Pentagon website** - **‘**[**Saving Private Ryan**]()**’ didn’t make the Army’s list of most accurate movie portrayals** - **Army reveals designs for** [**Mountaineering and Mariner Badges**]() ## Author Nicholas Slayton is a contributing editor for Task & Purpose, covering conflict for over 12 years, from the Arab Spring to the war in Ukraine. His previous reporting can be found on the non-profit Aslan Media, The Atlantic, Al Jazeera, The New Republic, The American Prospect, Architectural Digest, The Daily Beast, and the Los Angeles Downtown News. You can reach him at nicholas@taskandpurpose.com or find him on Twitter @NSlayton and Bluesky at @nslayton.bsky.social. ### Author social links [Twitter]()