The A-10C completed its final training sortie with the 66th Weapons Squadron at Nellis AFB, marking the end of the aircraft’s operations with the U.S. Air Force Weapons School.
The A-10 Thunderbolt II has completed its final training flight with the U.S. Air Force Weapons School at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, bringing the service’s dedicated A-10 weapons training program to an end. The milestone was marked by the 66th Weapons Squadron on Aug. 18, 2026, with the base releasing photographs of the aircraft following its final sortie a month later, on Sept. 18.
Notably, one of the aircraft involved in the last flight was 82-0665, the last A-10 ever built, delivered to the service in 1983. For the occasion, it was flown by the squadron’s commander, Lt. Col. Ridge Flick.
Visualizza questo post su Instagram
According to the official caption accompanying the images, the flight marked the end of the U.S. Air Force Weapons School‘s A-10 program. The 66th Weapons Squadron has been responsible for advanced weapons and tactics instruction involving the Thunderbolt II, supporting the development of highly specialized personnel for combat operations.
The A-10 and the Weapons School
The milestone follows the recent last flight of the A-10 at Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona, on July 29. The end of the operations at the Weapons School was expected by the end of the summer, few months after the graduation of the latest class of A-10 weapons instructors.
The A-10 has played an important role in the U.S. Air Force’s close air support mission since entering service in the 1970s. Designed around the requirements of supporting ground forces, the aircraft combines a heavily protected airframe with the GAU-8/A Avenger 30 mm cannon and the ability to employ a wide range of precision-guided and unguided weapons.
At Nellis, the A-10 has been used to train weapons officers in the employment of the aircraft in complex combat scenarios, including the integration of close air support with other elements of joint and combined air operations. The Weapons School’s graduate-level instruction is intended to prepare personnel to return to operational units with advanced expertise in tactics, weapons employment, and mission planning.
The conclusion of the A-10 program at the Weapons School comes as the Air Force continues to reorganize its tactical aviation force and training structure. While the Thunderbolt II remains associated with close air support, the service has been transitioning toward newer aircraft, with the A-10 continuing to fly only with a handful of units.
The A-10’s legacy at Nellis is closely tied to the aircraft’s contribution to close air support training and the development of specialized weapons officers. With the 66th Weapons Squadron’s final training flight now complete, the Weapons School’s A-10 program becomes another part of the aircraft’s extensive operational and training history.
The A-10’s retirement
The end of the A-10’s flight operations represents yet another step towards the retirement of the aircraft. These steps appear to be continuing even if the service announced that it would retain two squadrons through 2030.
These will be one active-duty squadron at Moody Air Force Base, Georgia, and one Air Force Reserve squadron at Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri. However, things might still change and the A-10’s time in the Air Force further extended.
In fact, in an attempt to further delay the retirement, Rep. Abe Hamadeh (R-Ariz.) introduced in the U.S. Congress the ‘BRRRRT Act’, or ‘Bolstering Recognition, Resurgence, Retention, and Remembrance of the Thunderbolt’, (H.R. 9780) on July 20, 2026. The bipartisan bill would require the U.S. Air Force to maintain a viable A-10 fleet through Fiscal Year 2033, as well as halting the dismantling of the infrastructure needed to sustain the aircraft.
The bill was referred to the Committee on Armed Services, and goes considerably further than simply preventing the U.S. Air Force from retiring the A-10 Thunderbolt II. The bill would require the Air Force to maintain at least 126 A-10 aircraft and restore depot maintenance, pilot training, sustainment activities and flight testing.
In order to proceed with the retirement, the Secretary of War would have to certify that a replacement aircraft has fully assumed the A-10’s mission before any further divestment could proceed. That certification would also need to be approved in writing by the Secretary of the Army, the Commandant of the Marine Corps, and the Commander of U.S. Special Operations Command.
Facts Only
* The A-10C completed its final training sortie with the 66th Weapons Squadron at Nellis AFB.
* The event marked the end of the A-10 weapons training program at the U.S. Air Force Weapons School.
* The milestone was marked by the 66th Weapons Squadron on August 18, 2026.
* Photographs following the final sortie were released on September 18.
* Aircraft 82-0665 was involved in the last flight and is the last A-10 ever built to the service in 1983.
* Lt. Col. Ridge Flick flew aircraft 82-0665 for the final sortie.
* The milestone follows a recent flight at Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona, on July 29.
* The A-10 was designed to support ground forces and combines an airframe with the GAU-8/A Avenger cannon.
* The Weapons School instruction prepared personnel in tactics, weapons employment, and mission planning for close air support.
* The service plans to retain two squadrons through 2030: one active-duty squadron at Moody AFB, Georgia, and one Air Force Reserve squadron at Whiteman AFB, Missouri.
* The ‘BRRRRT Act’ was introduced in July 2026 to maintain a viable A-10 fleet through Fiscal Year 2033.
* The bill required maintaining at least 126 A-10 aircraft and restoring depot maintenance.
Executive Summary
The A-10 Thunderbolt II concluded its training operations with the U.S. Air Force Weapons School at Nellis Air Force Base, marking the end of the program for teaching advanced weapons and tactics instruction involving the aircraft. This milestone occurred on August 18, 2026, when the 66th Weapons Squadron completed its final training sortie. The flight involved aircraft designated 82-0665, which is noted as the last A-10 built to the service in 1983, and was flown by Lt. Col. Ridge Flick.
This conclusion follows a previous flight at Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona, on July 29. The Weapons School’s program prepared personnel with advanced expertise in tactics, weapons employment, and mission planning for close air support operations. The A-10 has historically supported close air support by combining a protected airframe with weaponry like the GAU-8/A Avenger cannon. This transition occurs as the Air Force reorganizes its tactical aviation force and training structure, leading to the aircraft flying only with a limited number of units.
The retirement process for the A-10 is ongoing, though the service announced plans to retain two squadrons through 2030 at Moody AFB, Georgia, and Whiteman AFB, Missouri. An effort to prolong the aircraft's service was introduced via the ‘BRRRRT Act’ in July 2026, which sought to maintain a viable A-10 fleet through Fiscal Year 2033 and required the restoration of sustainment infrastructure. This continuation is contingent upon certification that a replacement aircraft has assumed the mission before any further divestment can occur.
Full Take
The narrative presents the structured conclusion of a specialized training pipeline, framing the end of an era for a specific type of combat aviation education. The pattern here is the managed obsolescence woven into institutional history: the successful completion of training validates the historical role of the aircraft and its associated expertise before transitioning to new systems. The focus on the single aircraft, 82-0665, as the final iteration draws attention to tangible material endpoints, which serves to anchor an abstract organizational change in physical reality.
The tension lies in the contrast between the operational history—where the A-10 facilitated close air support and specialized officer development—and the ongoing institutional shift toward newer platforms. This juxtaposition subtly suggests that legacy systems are being consciously retired, yet mechanisms like the BRRRRT Act attempt to impose a temporal extension on an inevitable end. This raises questions about the true drivers of platform retirement versus policy inertia; is the focus on extending service life a political maneuver, or does it reflect deep functional requirements not yet met by current airframes? Furthermore, the conditional nature of further divestment, requiring certification from multiple high-level commands, introduces a layer of bureaucratic complexity that mirrors the inherent friction in large-scale military transitions. The implication is that operational history and physical assets are subject to layered administrative processes that can delay or complicate what appears to be an established trajectory toward modernization.
What assumptions about necessary capability drive the transition away from the A-10, versus what factors—cost, logistics, or tactical evolution—drive the continued bureaucratic effort to retain it? How does anchoring such a significant procedural shift in the retirement of a single, historic airframe manage the public and institutional perception of future aviation strategy? What historical precedents exist for legacy systems surviving through administrative maneuvering rather than pure operational necessity?