US Congress approves nearly 12% reduction to A-10 fleet
Both chambers of Congress passed the annual National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), with the Senate approving the measure on 13 December and the House of Representatives giving its ascent on 14 December. The legislation must be signed by President Joe Biden before becoming law.
Among provisions in the 2024 NDAA is one authorising the USAF to retire 18 of its A-10 Thunderbolt II attack jets – lowering the minimum required fleet size from 153 to 135.
The new floor represents a 12% reduction to the service’s mandated fleet.
The move continues a trend begun almost exactly one year earlier, when Congress authorised the first A-10 retirements in the 2023 NDAA. That legislation lowered the minimum “Warthog” fleet to the current level of 153 aircraft.
Air Combat Command told the USAF it planned to retire 21 A-10s in 2023, prioritising the “least combat effective” airframes.
Senior USAF leaders have sought for years to downsize the A-10 fleet, arguing that funds spent to keep the ageing craft airworthy would be better spent on acquiring more-capable multi-role fighters, particularly F-35s.
The service contracted with Boeing in 2011 and 2019 to produce all new wing sets for the fleet. Enhanced Wing Assembly replacement programme are meant to keep A-10s flying into the 2030s.
Despite limitations, the USAF continues finding ways for the slow, un-stealthy A-10 to stay relevant even without using its legendary canon. in April demonstrated that a single A-10 can carry and deploy up to 16 GBU-39 Small Diameter Bombs.
When tensions in Europe and the Indo-Pacific region pulled the USAF’s most-capable fighters into active-deterrence missions against the air forces of Russia and China, A-10s were sent to patrol the Middle East.
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