News just in ...Thu, December 8, 2022 at 12:58 AMWASHINGTON —...

News just in ...
Thu, December 8, 2022 at 12:58 AM
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.

The Air Force’s 2023 budget request asked for permission to cut 21 A-10s at Fort Wayne Air National Guard Base in Indiana, and replace that squadron’s planes with an equal number of F-16s.MoreF-35s, Compass CallsThe NDAA also grants the Air Force’s wish to fund four additional EC-37B Compass Call electronic warfare aircraft to replace the aging EC-130H.

And the NDAA provides another five Lockheed Martin-made F-35A fighters for the Air Force, which would bring the number up to 38.The Air Force originally asked for funding to buy 33 F-35As in 2023, which was lower than the 48 the service asked for in 2022. Secretary Frank Kendall said the Air Force wanted to use the money freed up by buying fewer F-35s to develop the Next Generation Air Dominance platform, work on a new, advanced engine for the F-35 and more quickly bring on the F-15EX Eagle II.

A few months later, the Air Force asked for another $921 million to add seven more F-35As to its 2023 procurement request, which would have brought the total procurement to 40. The service said then that the additional fighters would be Block 4 F-35As from Lot 17, with the APG-85 radar. Lawmakers now appear inclined to grant most — but not all — of that request.The Navy and Marine Corps would also get 15 F-35Bs and 16 F-35Cs, as well as eight F-18E/F Super Hornet fighters, 12 CH-53K helicopters, seven E-2D Hawkeye aircraft, five KC-130J tankers, three unmanned MQ-4 Tritons and four MQ-25 Stingray aerial refueling drones.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/congress-approves-10-retirements-more-175821911.html
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