The A-10 Warthog and B-1 Bomber Aren't Dying (At Least For Now)

[rangerrebew]

The A-10 Warthog and B-1 Bomber Aren't Dying (At Least For Now)



The A-10 Warthog and B-1 Bomber Aren't Dying (At Least For Now)

The U.S. Air Force is stuck with aging platforms it would rather see fly off into the sunset.
by Peter Suciu

Here's What You Need to Know: The battle over which planes to keep and which to retire is a fierce one.

General Douglas McArthur quoted an old army ballad in his farewell address to Congress with the words “Old soldiers never die, they just fade away,” however lawmakers today likely won’t support similar sentiments from the United States Air Force to let some of its old warbirds rust away in retirement. The Air Force had announced plans to mothball its A-10 Warthog, KC-135 refueling tankers and even RQ-4 Global Hawk surveillance drones during the new fiscal year.

However, the House and Senate Armed Services committees pushed back last week and put forward the conference report of the fiscal year 2021 (FY21) National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), Defense News reported. A final version of that bill, which had input from both chambers, was expected to be approved by Congress this week. President Donald Trump has threatened it would be vetoed when it reaches his desk.

https://nationalinterest.org/blog/reboot/10-warthog-and-b-1-bomber-arent-dying-least-now-184862

[PeteS in CA]

USAF higher-ups have been trying to shoot down the A-10 since the late 70s. So of course they "would rather see (it) fly off into the sunset." As for "aging platforms", the B-52 and C-130 have been in service longer than the Warthog.