MIDDLE RIVER, MD—The U.S. Air Force on Thursday selected Warfield Air National Guard Base, located at Martin State Airport in Middle River, as the preferred location to transition from an A-10 to a cyber wing mission.

The 175th Maryland Air National Guard will retire the A-10 fighter jets stationed at the base.

“Replacing the aging A-10 Thunderbolt IIs at the 175th Fighter Wing with a cyber mission will create a natural synergy between cyber assets at Fort George G. Meade, Maryland, and the 175th Cyberspace Operations Group already operating out of Warfield ANGB,” the Air Force said in a press release.

“Warfield ANGB is not precluded from being considered for other potential missions in the future,” the press release added.

Divestment of the 21 A-10s at Warfield ANGB is expected begin in fall 2024. Manpower numbers are expected to remain neutral but will be finalized over the next year.

The Department of the Air Force will now conduct environmental impact analysis for the cyber wing, which is expected to be completed by fall 2025 before a final decision is made.

The A-10s were stationed in Middle River for more than four decades.

Photo via Pixabay