Begynnelsen på slutten for A-10? - Defense daily

 

Congress would approve A-10 retirements, more F-35s in defense bill

By Stephen Losey

 Dec 7, 06:58 PM

An A-10 Thunderbolt II from the 422nd Test and Evaluation Squadron, Nellis Air Force Base, flies over the Nevada Test and Training Range, Nev., Aug. 3, 2022. Congress is poised to allow the Air Force to retire 21 A-10s from the Air National Guard, after years of disagreement over the fate of the iconic attack plane. (Airman Trevor Bell/Air Force)

WASHINGTON — The compromise National Defense Authorization Act released by lawmakers Tuesday would grant the Air Force’s long-awaited wish to start retiring the A-10 Warthog.

The $858 billion plan would also add more F-35s, EC-37B Compass Call aircraft and HH-60W Jolly Green II combat rescue helicopters, and provide $301 million more to speed up the acquisition of the E-7 Wedgetail.

The approval to retire 21 A-10s represents a thaw in a years-long disagreement between the service and lawmakers over the fate of the stalwart, but aging, attack plane. Over 20 years of war in Iraq, Afghanistan and against the Islamic State, the Fairchild Republic-made A-10 flew many close air support missions, using its distinctive 30mm GAU-8/A cannon to defend countless ground troops.

But the Air Force has for years said that the A-10, which flies low and slow, would not be able to survive a war against a major adversary with modern air defenses, such as China.

“The A-10 is a great platform for a [permissive] environment,” Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. CQ Brown told lawmakers in April. “I don’t see very many [permissive] environments that we’re going to roll into in the future.”