Hey everyone, Wes O’Donnell here—veteran of the U.S. Army and Air Force, journalist, and your ‘go-to’ for deep dives into military history and modern conflicts. Today, I’m answering a big question on my mind: If the U.S. is retiring the A-10 Thunderbolt II—better known as the Warthog—why not send it to Ukraine?The A-10 was practically built for the kind of warfare we’re seeing in Eastern Ukraine right now—obliterating tanks and Russian armor on open plains. With its titanium bathtub protecting pilots, its legendary GAU-8 Avenger autocannon, and its history of surviving crazy amounts of damage, the Warthog is a beast. It’s an icon of close air support (CAS) that’s saved countless infantry lives.So, why isn’t this ground-pounding legend showing up in the skies over Ukraine? In this video, I’ll break down the reasons:America’s Strategy: The U.S. always achieves air superiority before deploying CAS assets like the A-10, something Ukraine doesn’t have yet.Operational Challenges: Russian MiG-29s and Su-35s would make short work of the A-10 without air dominance.Logistical Issues: Training Ukrainian pilots and maintainers, sourcing replacement parts, and integrating the A-10 into Ukraine’s Air Force would be a logistical nightmare.Better Options: Ukraine already has the Su-25 Grach, its Soviet-era A-10 counterpart, which is better suited for its current needs.We’ll also take a nostalgic look at how the A-10 became a cultural icon, from its badass role in Iraq and Afghanistan to its appearance as the GI Joe Cobra Rattler toy in the 1980s. (Yes, I’m still hunting for one on eBay—send me a message if you have one!)Despite its many strengths, the A-10 simply isn’t the right fit for Ukraine’s fight right now. Instead, the focus should be on modern air superiority fighters like the F-16, which Ukraine is already preparing to deploy.Join me as I dig into the A-10’s history, capabilities, and why it’s both a legend and, sadly, a relic of a different era. And hey, if you enjoy videos like this, hit that subscribe button—it really helps the channel grow!Glory to Ukraine. Glory to the heroes. Slava Ukraini!#ukrainewar #A10Warthog #militaryaircraft #airforce #CloseAirSupport #MilitaryAviation #TankKiller #Ukraine #MilitaryStrategy #RussiaUkraineWar #F16Fighter #Su25 #SlavaUkraini #славаукраїні