# List of United States attack aircraft
United States attack aircraft are military aircraft whose primary mission is attacking surface targets, designated in the U.S. tri-service system with the basic mission symbol **A** for Attack. For air traffic control purposes, only the principal elements of each military aircraft designation, the Basic Mission/Type Symbol and Design Number, must be used, and "A" stands for Attack in that system.[1](https://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/publications/atpubs/CNT/1-3.htm) The list below covers the designation system, the aircraft types the retrieved record identifies, and the current state of the fleet.
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Designation symbol | "A" is the Basic Mission symbol for Attack in the U.S. military aircraft designation system used for air traffic control.[1](https://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/publications/atpubs/CNT/1-3.htm) |
| Current dedicated type | A-10C Thunderbolt II, the first Air Force aircraft specially designed for close air support of ground forces.[2](https://www.af.mil/About-Us/Fact-Sheets/Category/741/) |
| A-10C inventory | active inventory as of September 30, 2025 (43 primary, 43 backup, 46 support aircraft), at 43.37 percent availability.[3](https://www.airandspaceforces.com/article/2026-usaf-ussf-almanac-equipment-total-aircraft-inventory-tai/) |
| Retirement status | The Air Force entered fiscal 2026 with 162 A-10 aircraft and sought authority to retire the entire fleet; a proposed House bill (the BRRRRT Act) would require retaining at least 126.[4](https://www.techradar.com/pro/50-year-old-a-10-thunderbolt-ii-warthog-gets-reprieve-as-brrrrt-act-keeps-it-alive-after-iran-showdown) |
| Historical Navy and Air Force types | A-4 (light attack), A-7 (single-place, single-jet attack plane built by Ling Temco Vought), A-26 (twin-engine, piston-powered Douglas attack plane).[5](https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/CHRG-94shrg73446O/pdf/CHRG-94shrg73446O.pdf) • [6](https://media.defense.gov/2010/Oct/06/2001329752/-1/-1/0/AFD-101006-027.pdf) |
| Multirole shift | DOD and Air Force strategic guidance prioritized fifth-generation aircraft such as the F-35, readiness, and multirole aircraft, while placing a lower priority on single-role aircraft like the A-10.[7](https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-15-698r) |
| Next-generation strike | Boeing won both next-generation fighter contracts, the Navy F/A-XX and the Air Force F-47, alongside F-15EX orders.[8](https://www.axios.com/2026/10/07/boeing-navy-faxx-f47-f15ex-contracts) |
## The A-for-Attack designation system
American military aircraft carry designations built from a Basic Mission/Type Symbol and a Design Number. The [Federal Aviation Administration](https://www.edgepedia.org/federal-aviation-administration)'s controller publications list the symbol **A** as Attack, so an A-10 is the tenth design in the attack series.[1](https://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/publications/atpubs/CNT/1-3.htm) [Naval aviation](https://www.edgepedia.org/naval-aviation) used earlier letter-number systems organized by manufacturer before the modern scheme; the Navy's historical records describe how the earliest system segregated aircraft by manufacturer, and how some number blocks were reassigned when the A prefix was dropped for aircraft acquired from the Army or Air Force rather than directly from a manufacturer.[9](https://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/naval-aviation-history/aircraft-history-cards/background-on-naval-aircraft-bureau-serial-numbers.html)
## Aircraft types in the record
**A-4 Skyhawk.** The Navy and Marine Corps A-4 was designated for light attack in the aircraft system designations appendix of a 1970s congressional hearing record.[5](https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/CHRG-94shrg73446O/pdf/CHRG-94shrg73446O.pdf)
**A-7.** The Air Force historical front matter describes the A-7 as a single-place, single-jet attack plane built by Ling Temco Vought and flown by both the Navy and the Air Force.[6](https://media.defense.gov/2010/Oct/06/2001329752/-1/-1/0/AFD-101006-027.pdf)
**A-26.** The same source describes the A-26 as a twin-engine, shoulder-wing attack plane powered by piston engines and built by Douglas Aircraft, with service in World War II, the [Korean War](https://www.edgepedia.org/korean-war), and the Vietnam conflict.[6](https://media.defense.gov/2010/Oct/06/2001329752/-1/-1/0/AFD-101006-027.pdf)
**A-10 Thunderbolt II.** The A-10C is the first Air Force aircraft specially designed for close air support of ground forces; the Air Force fact sheet describes the type as simple, effective, and used against light maritime attack aircraft and all ground targets, including tanks and other armored vehicles.[2](https://www.af.mil/About-Us/Fact-Sheets/Category/741/) The aircraft was originally built in the late 1970s to provide close air support, meaning direct support to ground troops, and to defeat enemy forces.[10](https://www.gao.gov/blog/2017/03/16/whats-in-the-air-force-a-10s-future) [Close air support](https://www.edgepedia.org/close-air-support) is a mission involving air action against hostile targets in proximity to friendly forces.[7](https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-15-698r)
**F-35 and multirole fighters.** The F-35, a fifth-generation multirole aircraft, is the aircraft DOD guidance prioritized in place of single-role types like the A-10.[7](https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-15-698r)
## The A-10 fleet and retirement debate
The A-10 has been the focus of a long-running retirement debate. Air Force divestment of the A-10 would create potential gaps in close air support and other missions, and DOD planned to address some of these gaps, according to a [Government Accountability Office](https://www.edgepedia.org/government-accountability-office) preliminary review conducted under a provision of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2015.[7](https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-15-698r) Confronted with a smaller budget than anticipated, the Air Force maintained that, while far from ideal, its best course was to divest the A-10 in favor of newer aircraft.[10](https://www.gao.gov/blog/2017/03/16/whats-in-the-air-force-a-10s-future) The service estimated that scrapping the fleet would save $4 billion over five years.[11](https://time.com/4019393/military-planes-a10-f35/)
**Current numbers.** The Air Force's total active inventory as of September 30, 2025 listed A-10C Thunderbolt II aircraft, split into 43 primary authorized aircraft, 43 backup aircraft, and 46 support aircraft, with an availability figure of 43.37 percent.[3](https://www.airandspaceforces.com/article/2026-usaf-ussf-almanac-equipment-total-aircraft-inventory-tai/) The service entered fiscal 2026 with 162 A-10 aircraft and sought authority to retire the entire fleet.[4](https://www.techradar.com/pro/50-year-old-a-10-thunderbolt-ii-warthog-gets-reprieve-as-brrrrt-act-keeps-it-alive-after-iran-showdown)
**Legislative reprieve.** A proposed House bill, the BRRRRT Act, would require the Air Force to retain at least 126 A-10s, halting scheduled retirements and recovering additional aircraft from storage at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Arizona.[4](https://www.techradar.com/pro/50-year-old-a-10-thunderbolt-ii-warthog-gets-reprieve-as-brrrrt-act-keeps-it-alive-after-iran-showdown) The type remains operationally active: Iranian state media reported in April 2026 that a U.S. A-10 was hit by Iranian air defenses, and the aircraft, known by the nickname Warthog, is single-seat.[12](https://apnews.com/article/c30780cfbf0c59e3f915f91b056a298c)
## Multirole aircraft and the future of the attack mission
The shift away from dedicated attack aircraft reflects readiness and cost pressures across the fleet. According to a GAO review released in 2026, the F-35 has fallen far short of the minimum performance targets that the U.S. military services had wanted throughout the period since 2020, with fully mission capable and mission capable rates on a general downward trend, most notably for the Air Force's F-35A; an accompanying report determined that just 25 percent of the F-35 fleet was fully mission capable in fiscal 2025.[13](https://files.gao.gov/reports/GAO-26-108113/index.html) • [14](https://www.techradar.com/pro/800-f-35-airplane-fleet-struggles-to-justify-its-usd1-6-trillion-price-tag-with-just-a-25-fully-mission-capable-rate-amidst-systemic-software-bugs-and-chronic-hardware-failures-scathing-new-gao-report-finds)
The next generation of strike aircraft is moving to new programs. Boeing won both next-generation fighter contracts, the Navy's F/A-XX and the Air Force's F-47, in addition to F-15EX orders, a result described as a clean sweep for the company in next-generation Navy and Air Force fighters.[8](https://www.axios.com/2026/10/07/boeing-navy-faxx-f47-f15ex-contracts)
## References
1. [General-Aircraft-Type Designators, FAA](https://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/publications/atpubs/CNT/1-3.htm)
2. [Fact Sheets, Category: Close Air Support, U.S. Air Force](https://www.af.mil/About-Us/Fact-Sheets/Category/741/)
3. [2026 USAF & USSF Almanac Equipment: Total Aircraft Inventory (TAI), Air & Space Forces Magazine](https://www.airandspaceforces.com/article/2026-usaf-ussf-almanac-equipment-total-aircraft-inventory-tai/)
4. [50-year-old A-10 Thunderbolt II Warthog gets reprieve as BRRRRT act keeps it alive after Iran showdown, TechRadar](https://www.techradar.com/pro/50-year-old-a-10-thunderbolt-ii-warthog-gets-reprieve-as-brrrrt-act-keeps-it-alive-after-iran-showdown)
5. [Appendix 1: Aircraft system designations, congressional hearing record, govinfo](https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/CHRG-94shrg73446O/pdf/CHRG-94shrg73446O.pdf)
6. [Air Force historical front matter on aircraft designations, media.defense.gov](https://media.defense.gov/2010/Oct/06/2001329752/-1/-1/0/AFD-101006-027.pdf)
7. [Force Structure: Preliminary Observations on Air Force A-10 Divestment, GAO-15-698R](https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-15-698r)
8. [A "clean sweep" for Boeing in next-gen Navy and Air Force fighters, Axios](https://www.axios.com/2026/10/07/boeing-navy-faxx-f47-f15ex-contracts)
9. [Background on Naval Aircraft Bureau (Serial) Numbers, Naval History and Heritage Command](https://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/naval-aviation-history/aircraft-history-cards/background-on-naval-aircraft-bureau-serial-numbers.html)
10. [What's in the Air Force A-10's Future?, GAO blog](https://www.gao.gov/blog/2017/03/16/whats-in-the-air-force-a-10s-future)
11. [The Pentagon's Dubious Dogfight, Time](https://time.com/4019393/military-planes-a10-f35/)
12. [US A-10 attack aircraft was hit by Iranian air defense forces, Associated Press](https://apnews.com/article/c30780cfbf0c59e3f915f91b056a298c)
13. [F-35 Sustainment: Actions Needed to Ensure Updated Strategy Improves Persistent Readiness Challenges, GAO-26-108113](https://files.gao.gov/reports/GAO-26-108113/index.html)
14. [800+ F-35 fleet struggles to justify $1.6 trillion price tag with just 25% fully mission capable rate, TechRadar](https://www.techradar.com/pro/800-f-35-airplane-fleet-struggles-to-justify-its-usd1-6-trillion-price-tag-with-just-a-25-fully-mission-capable-rate-amidst-systemic-software-bugs-and-chronic-hardware-failures-scathing-new-gao-report-finds)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Technology and the built world › Transport and spaceflight › Aviation › Military aviation › Military aircraft by type and era › Bomber and strike aircraft › Attack and ground-attack aircraft*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 15, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 15, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license