New defense bill proposes retirement of A-10s and F-15s, preserves F-22s

The compromise defense policy bill would grant the Air Force’s request to retire older F-15 Eagle fighters, A-10 Warthogs, and other aircraft, but would block an attempt to mothball 32 older F-22A Raptors. The Air Force’s proposed budget for FY24 calls for retiring 42 A-10s and 57 F-15C and D-model fighters, and while the conference NDAA approves the A-10 request and the retirement of early-model F-15s, it is moving to stop the Air Force from retiring some Block 20 F-22s and requires the service to keep at least 1,112 fighters in its inventory. Congress is also looking for reports from the Air Force and Navy on their plans to acquire fleets of collaborative combat aircraft. They want more details about the NGAD and the KC-135 recapitalization. The legislation also requires the Pentagon to consider whether Warthogs slated for retirement or storage could be transferred to another ally or partner nation of the United States.