There’s a reason why the A-10 Thunderbolt II is so popular with troops who’ve fought under its protective wing. Dubbed the “Warthog,” this rugged plane was designed from the ground up to defend soldiers on the ground. It was not built to be fast or pretty—it was built to get low, stay in the fight, and provide vicious, precise firepower when lives are at stake. That unmistakable BRRRRT of its 30mm gun has become a sound of salvation to many of those in combat.
But as the nature of war evolves and new threats arise, the Air Force has already started making plans for a world without the A-10. The Warthog, despite all its virtues, was never designed to fly in defended airspace or across long oceanic distances. The Pentagon is now setting its sights on high-end fights, especially in the Indo-Pacific, where survivability and reach are more critical than ever before. Even legends have their limitations, and the A-10 is no exception.
To bridge the gap, the Air Force launched an initiative known as OA-X, a hunt for a new type of aircraft that can fill the void where the A-10 drops off, at least in low-threat theaters. The idea wasn’t to create yet another jet filled with pricey technology. It was a matter of building a functional, light, affordable attack platform that could fly out of distant airstrips and get the job done without the F-35 price tag. To put it in perspective, the F-35 is more than $40,000 per flight hour, the A-10 something like $17,000. The new entries? Only $4,000 to $5,000.
One of the most highly debated is the A-29 Super Tucano. Built by Brazil’s Embraer, the A-29 is a turboprop. At first glance, it doesn’t look much like a warplane. Don’t underestimate it, however. It’s agile, reliable, and deadly. Equipped with twin .50 caliber machine guns and able to carry both guided bombs and rockets, the A-29 has racked up hundreds of thousands of flight hours, more than 60,000 of them in combat. It’s tough enough to operate from rough dirt runways and simple enough to maintain in the field.
What the Super Tucano is most attractive to people with is its versatility. It’s deployed for much more than just attack missions—it’s also used in reconnaissance, air patrol, and even training missions. It doesn’t require a massive investment in infrastructure to deploy it, and governments all over the world have caught on. From South America to Africa, dozens of countries now fly the A-29, and orders keep coming in.
Of course, the A-29 is not alone among light attack aircraft. The AT-6 Wolverine, built by Textron Aviation, is another contender to beat. Derived from the well-known T-6 trainer, it provides seamless pilot transition and logistic support for nations already operating the trainer model. The Wolverine features state-of-the-art avionics and the capacity to carry advanced weapons such as laser-guided rockets and Hellfire missiles. It’s lightweight, agile, and designed for adaptability in the field. Another entrant into the competition is Textron’s Scorpion, a jet-powered aircraft with low operating costs. But no matter its promise, it hasn’t yet met with much adoption.
Afghanistan was a chief proving ground for the A-29’s capabilities. In 2016, the Afghan Air Force started operating Super Tucanos, working toward establishing a stand-alone air support capability as NATO forces drew down. The U.S. did a significant amount of training of Afghan pilots and maintainers, some of whom began their path at Moody Air Force Base in Georgia.
In the field, the A-29s proved to be key assets. They gave Afghans much-needed air support, did reconnaissance, and carried out precision airstrikes. Their affordability and reliability enabled them to fly every day without mass logistical support. In a part of the world where each flight was critical, the A-29 paid its dues.
Cost is an integral part of the A-29’s narrative. At approximately $11 million per aircraft and with a cost to operate of about $1,000 per hour of flight, it packs a lot of capability for the cost. That’s why smaller air forces have latched onto it—it provides legitimate capability without bankrupting national treasuries. For nations struggling with insurgencies or operating extensive, far-flung borders, the Super Tucano provides a realistic route to airpower. It’s not about being flashy—it’s about showing up when it counts.
As the U.S. progresses further into the age of stealth and cyber warfare, aircraft like the F-35 will remain front-page news. But whereas the F-35 is a technological wonder, it’s not necessarily the best tool for every task. With a multibillion-dollar stealth fighter, dropping a bomb on a lightly defended convoy just doesn’t work in most instances. That’s where light attack planes come in. They’re not vying to become the next A-10—they’re defining a new niche altogether, one centered on utility, tenacity, and price.
The close air support of the future won’t be based on a single platform. Rather, it’ll probably be a combination of tools that are custom-built to the mission at hand. What examples like the A-29 and AT-6 indicate is that at times, the most effective solution is not necessarily the most advanced—it’s the one that performs in the dirt, continues flying, and accomplishes the job without costing a fortune. In the hands of Afghan pilots, African air forces, or American allies, these planes are showing that air power doesn’t have to be high-tech to be extremely powerful. Less can sometimes be more.