U.S. Air Force A-10 Warthog Served As Escort For Ohio-Class Submarine

A U.S. Air Force A-10 Thunderbolt II craft escorts Ohio-class ballistic rocket submarine USS Nebraska (SSBN 739) successful the Pacific Ocean, July 28, 2026.

(U.S. Navy photograph by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Ryan Riley)

The United States Air Force’s Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II has served arsenic a adjacent aerial support craft for astir 5 decades. The single-seat, twin-engine craft was developed to combat Soviet and Warsaw Pact armored vehicles successful imaginable conflict successful Europe.

However, past week 1 was spotted successful what could beryllium described arsenic a astir unexpected place, namely the Pacific Ocean. It was providing adjacent aerial support to the USS Nebraska (SSBN-739), 1 of the United States Navy’s 14 operational Ohio-class nuclear-powered ballistic rocket submarines.

According to the oversea service, SSBN-739 was assigned to Commander, Submarine Group 9 (COMSUBGRU-9), which was exercising “tactical and administrative power authority for assigned submarine commands and units successful the Pacific Northwest providing oversight for shipboard training, personnel, proviso and worldly readiness of submarines and their crews.” COMSUBGRU-9 is besides responsible for atomic submarines undergoing conversion and overhaul astatine the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard successful Bremerton, Wash.

Aerial Protection Of The Silent Service

The U.S. Navy seldom discloses the location of immoderate of its SSBNs, arsenic each is simply a captious constituent of the sea-based limb of the country’s atomic triad. It is unclear if this was a training workout aliases a much regular operation, pinch USS Nebraska returning to its location larboard of Naval Base Kitsap-Bangor successful Silverdale, Wash.

“Submarines are astatine their astir susceptible erstwhile connected the surface, wherever they tin beryllium detected by ocular intends aliases by radar, and moreover spotted by satellites,” TheAviationist.com reported, adding, “During regular operations, the U.S. Navy employs a master fleet of 4 Black Powder-class support ships to supply further protection to these submarines. When entering and exiting port, the ships sail adjacent by to the submarines, acting arsenic a sacrificial shield for the precious rocket compartment.”

Last week, alternatively of a support ship, it appears that the SSBN-739 received an Armed Airborne Escort, specifically the A-10 Thunderbolt II. Affectionately known by its pilots and maintainers arsenic the “Warthog,” the craft is equipped pinch a 30mm tank-busting GAU-8 gun, a powerful limb pinch a very precocious muzzle velocity 20 times that of the 75mm weapon fitted to immoderate B-25 Mitchell adjacent aerial support/ground-attack gunships successful World War II.

In addition, the 30mm gun, which employs rotating barrels, offers an unparalleled complaint of occurrence for an craft weapon, capable to occurrence up to 4,200 rounds per minute. No different onslaught craft successful history has ever mounted a weapon pinch the tank-killing capacity of the GAU-8.

The Warthog tin besides loiter adjacent conflict areas for extended periods and run astatine 1,000 feet (304.8 meters) aliases little pinch 1.5 miles (2.4 kilometers) of visibility, making it comparatively perfect for escorting a surfaced submarine.

Neither the U.S. Air Force nor U.S. Navy has indicated from wherever the A-10 operated, but its nearest guidelines is Gowen Field successful Boise, Idaho, much than 400 miles from the Pacific Coast. It is truthful apt this was a planned workout involving the A-10 Thunderbolt II.

“AAEs show associated unit readiness to protect SSBNs, ensuring they stay a credible, reliable, and survivable unit tin of operating anyplace successful the world,” the U.S. Navy announced successful a post connected Facebook. “SSBNs stay a apical U.S. Department of War privilege owed to their unmatched stealth and second-strike capability. Their strategical value necessitates the strongest protection disposable during captious surfaced operations.”

The Warthog Is Being Retired, Yet Joint Exercises Continue

Last week’s AAE ngo is conscionable the latest cognition to spot the A-10 get “wet and wild.” In February, 1 of the CAS craft conducted a live-fire gunnery drill alongside the U.S. Navy Independence-class littoral combat vessel USS Santa Barbara (LCS-32) successful the 5th Fleet area of work during the colorfully named “Exercise Killer Tomato.”

This wintertime and spring, A-10s were besides employed to hunt down Iranian fast-attack boats successful the Strait of Hormuz, proving that the aged warbirds could study a fewer much tricks. That resulted successful the aging craft receiving a reprieve, pinch the planned 2028 status pushed backmost by astatine slightest a year.

There person been warnings that specified accelerated onslaught boats could frighten the U.S. Navy submarines, particularly arsenic they request to get astatine larboard surfaced. Perhaps if the A-10 is recovered to beryllium ideally suited to that threat, it could further hold the Warthog’s status conscionable a spot longer.

From Ironclad To Big Red

SSBN-739, which shares the nickname “Big Red” pinch the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s diversion teams, is conscionable the 2nd U.S. Navy alloy nicknamed for the 37th state.

The sanction was really fixed to the never-commissioned Kalamazoo-class ocean-going ironclad show that was laid down during the American Civil War. Thus, the first USS Nebraska (BB-14) was the Virginia-class battleship that was launched successful 1904 and provided escort for convoys to Europe during the First World War. BB-14 besides carried American soldiers backmost from France, making 4 trips successful total. Decommissioned aft the conflict, the battleship was sold for scrap successful 1922.

The existent USS Nebraska was commissioned successful July 1993, and has conducted galore patrols complete the past 3 decades. As pinch different U.S. Navy Ohio-class ballistic rocket submarines, SSBN-739 is operated by some a “Blue” and “Gold” unit to maximize operational availability. One unit deploys connected the submarine for a modular patrol lasting astir 70 to 90 days, pinch the different unit astatine larboard to return leave, complete required schooling and tally simulation training. This rotation allows the submarines to beryllium deployed and operational astir 70% of the time. It besides reduces individual deployment tempos and the strain that comes from a single-crewed fleet model.