Update: NDAA Compromise Prevents the Retirement of the A-10 Thunderbolt (Warthog)
12/5/14: The House and Senate reached a compromise on whether to retire the A-10 Warthog in the National Defense Authorization bill (NDAA) this week. The NDAA bill forbids the retirement of the A-10 and provides $350 million to prevent 100 A-10s from being retired. However, it would make it possible to drop their readiness level if the Pentagon creates a commission to investigate whether keeping the A-10s will make it harder for the Air Force to grant F-35s “Initial Operational Capability”. The F-35s are scheduled to be ready to fly by Fall 2015.
More Delays to the F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter
With Congress keeping A-10s in the air, the Air Force is expecting a mechanics shortage caused by Congress keeping the A-10s in the air. That means the F-35s may get delayed even further. The Air Force was expecting to train 1,100 personnel on F-35 fleet maintenance by Fall 2015. Approximately 800 of those were experienced maintainers available as a result of the A-10 retirement. Now that Congress is keeping the A-10 in use, there will be a shortage of F-35 personnel.
In addition, the NDAA authorizes $6.63 billion to buy 34 F-35s, 26 of which are the Air Force variants.
Sources: Janes; Air Force Times
Background
10/1/14: In March 2014, Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James announced that the Air Force is “severely, severely limited by the fiscal choices” after the "sequestration" related budget agreement. As a result, the Air Force announced it would retire the A-10 Thunderbolt II close air support aircraft and the U-2 reconnaissance aircraft. Instead, the Air Force will prioritize the joint strike fighter, the new aerial refueling tanker program and the long-range strike bomber. (Source: Testimony before the House Armed Services Committee)
The decision to retire the A-10 has been a controversial one. “That is, I know, an extremely controversial area… But I want you to know we are absolutely committed to the close air support mission,” Secretary James explained. “We will not let it drop.”
A-10 Thunderbolt (The Warthog)
Senators Kelly Ayotte (R-NH), John McCain (R-AZ), and Saxby Chambliss (R-GA), who serve on the Senate Armed Services Committee, oppose the retirement of the A-10, citing the Chief of Staff of the Army, General Ray Odierno. General Odierno believes that it's “the best close air support aircraft” and confirmed that the Army did not recommend that the Air Force retire the A-10. It's been known for flying "75 feet above the enemy position." (Read the Senators' article on the A-10.) Sen. Ayotte's husband, Joe, was an A-10 pilot who flew combat missions in Iraq and also served in the Air National Guard.
- Primary Function: Close air support, airborne forward air control, combat search and rescue
- Fun Facts: Top speed: 439 mph; Range: 800 miles; Wingspan: 57'
- Contractor: Fairchild Republic Co.
- Unit Cost: $18.8 million
- Inventory: Active force, 187; Reserve, 49; ANG, 107
Should Congress Retire the A-10 Aircraft?
The Air Force proposed retiring the 283 A-10s remaining in the fleet by 2019 to save an estimated $4.2 billion over five years. And in June, the House Appropriations Committee voted to cut the A-10 from the Air Force’s fleet. Days later, the House voted for an amendment to the Dept. of Defense Appropriations Act that prevents the Air Force from using appropriated funds to divest the A-10. (The full House adopted the amendment by Congresswoman Candice Miller (MI-10) by a 300 – 114 vote.)
The Senate's Defense Appropriations bill proposes $338 million to maintain the A-10 fleet. (Read bill summary)
Meanwhile, Members of Congress have also introduced a bill to prohibit the retirement of the A-10:
- S 1764: Limiting the retirement of the A-10 – (Also HR 3657 in the House) Prohibits the obligation or expenditure of any Department of Defense (DOD) funds to retire, prepare to retire, or place in storage any A-10 aircraft until: (1) the Secretary of the Air Force certifies that the F-35A aircraft has achieved full operational capability and Block 4A capabilities and that a sufficient number of F-35A aircraft exists in the Air Force inventory to replace the A-10 aircraft in order to meet close air support capability requirements of the combatant commands.
F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter
Meanwhile, Congress has provided funds to build and maintain the F-35 Lightning II, "a 5th Generation fighter, combining advanced stealth with fighter speed and agility," according to its manufacturer, Lockheed Martin. They cite General Mark Welsh, Chief of Staff of the US Air Force: “When a 5th Generation fighter meets a 4th Generation fighter — [the latter] dies. We can't just dress up a 4th Generation fighter as a 5th Generation fighter; we need to get away from that conversation."
The aircraft's "advanced airframe, autonomic logistics, avionics, propulsion systems, stealth, and firepower will ensure that the F-35 is the most affordable, lethal, supportable and survivable aircraft ever to be used by so many warfighters across the globe," according to the Joint Strike Fighter Program. The F-35 is intended to replace the US Air Force A-10s and F-16s, US Navy F/A-18s, US Marine Corps AV-8B Harriers and F/A-18s, and UK Harrier GR7s and Sea Harriers, according to the Air Force.
So far, the federal government has provided close to $400 billion in funding to develop and procure 2,457 F-35 aircraft through 2037. Fifty-two aircraft have been delivered through 2012, according to a 2013 GAO report.
The Senate's Defense Appropriations Committee provides funding for 34 F-35 Joint Strike Fighters, the same as the President’s budget request. The House Appropriations Committee voted to support funding for 38 F-35 Joint Strike Fighters for FY 15, an increase of four jets more than the President's budget. "In order to reduce costs, it is a priority to get the Joint Strike Fighter line to full rate production as soon as possible," explained Congresswoman Kay Granger (RTX), who serves on the Committee.
- Primary Function: Multirole fighter
- Fun Facts: Top speed: 1,199 mph; Range: 1,379 miles; Wingspan: 35'
- Contractor: Lockheed Martin
- Unit Cost: varies by version, $181 – $299.5 million (source)
- Versions: a conventional-takeoff-and-landing (CTOL) variant for the US Air Force, an aircraft-carrier version (CV) for the US Navy, and a short-takeoff/vertical landing (STOVL) version for the US Marine Corps and the UK Royal Air Force and Royal Navy.
- Inventory: 34 – 38 in FY 15. (The US military plans to acquire 2,457 F-35 aircraft in the future.)
Related Bills
Members of Congress have introduced proposals related to Air Force aircraft:
- HR 5119: C-130 Modernization Act – (S 2758 in Senate) To authorize the Secretary of the Air Force to modernize C-130 aircraft using alternative communication, navigation, surveillance, and air traffic management program kits and to ensure that such aircraft meet applicable regulations of the Federal Aviation Administration.
- HR 4230: Limit the retirement of KC-10 – The KC-10 aircraft, which is the largest, newest, and most capable refueling aircraft currently in the military’s inventory, is a workhorse and vital to meeting air refueling mission taskings for the Arctic, Trans-Atlantic, and Pacific routes,” according to the bill sponsor.
- HR 3125: Bio-based fuel research – To authorize the Secretary of the Air Force to make competitive grants to support research and development, education, and training to produce a bio-based aviation fuel for use by the Air Force and to provide an initial infusion of funds for the grant program.
Photo credits: National Air Force Museum and Air Force aircraft fact sheet
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