One of Capitol Hill’s most vocal proponents of keeping the Air Force’s A-10 attack plane in the inventory has praised the service’s reported decision to shelve plans to retire the plane.
Defense One, citing Pentagon officials, said the planes are in such high demand in the fight against the Islamic State that they can’t be retired. The Air Force has been trying to “divest” the Warthog fleet for two years, but critics say no other aircraft carries out the close-air support role as effectively.
“It appears the Administration is finally coming to its senses and recognizing the importance of A-10s to our troops’ lives and national security,” Rep. Martha McSally, R-Ariz., said in a statement. “Since before I took office and after, I’ve consistently highlighted the A-10’s irreplaceable capabilities and worked to expose the Administration’s flawed argument for wanting to retire it prematurely.
“With A-10s deployed in the Middle East to fight ISIS, in Europe to deter Russian aggression, and along the Korean Peninsula, Administration officials can no longer deny how invaluable these planes are to our arsenal and military capabilities,” McSally, a former A-10 pilot, said. “But our fight does not end here. The Administration has been persistent in its efforts to send our best close-air support asset to the boneyard without a replacement. That’s unacceptable, and I’ll continue to lead the fight to ensure we keep these planes flying until we know without a doubt we can replace their capabilities.”
The Air Force had planned to cut the planes as a cost-saving measure. Defense One reported the move will be part of the fiscal 2017 budget submission next month.
