The U.S. Air Force, in its FY 2022 budget proposal, had proposed the operational retirement of more than 200 aircraft, including 42 A-10 “Warthogs,” but Congress did not authorize taking them out of service.
As we reported in May, the USAF submitted to the U.S. Congress for approval a budget proposal for FY 2022, seeking to decommission several units, so as to redirect money earmarked for their operation to new development projects, such as 6th generation fighters.
The Air Force was looking to send into retirement:
- 48 F-15 C/D
- 13 C-130H
- the remaining 6 AC-130U/W remaining in service
- 4 E-8 JSTARS
- 47 F-16C/D
- 14 KC-10
- 18 KC-135
- 20 RQ-4 Global Hawk
- and 42 A-10 Thunderbolt II
According to Breaking Defense site, Congress authorized the decommissioning of all these aircraft but continues to refuse to release any A-10s.
Fiercely protected by the congressional delegation representing Davis Monthan Air Force Base in Arizona, the divestment attempt of 42 A-10 Warthogs was frustrated, with legislators ordering all 281 examples of the venerable ground-attack aircraft to remain in service.
The Air Force has wanted to retire a significant portion of its A-10 force for years, but so far they have been unsuccessful.
These older aircraft are now considered a burden on the USAF’s economy, which prefers to invest these resources in promoting new developments that will allow it to stay ahead technologically, against a China that is gaining ground at an accelerated pace.
