ORAC
8th Dec 2023, 05:41
https://www.defensenews.com/air/2023/12/07/defense-bill-would-let-air-force-retire-a-10s-f-15s-but-not-f-22s/
Defense bill would let Air Force retire A-10s, F-15s — but not F-22s
WASHINGTON — A compromise defense policy bill released Wednesday night would grant the Air Force’s request to retire older F-15 Eagle fighters, A-10 Warthogs, and other aircraft (https://www.defensenews.com/air/2023/03/13/us-air-force-pursues-major-aircraft-retirements-in-2024/#:~:text=The%20Department%20of%20the%20Air%20Force%20is%20re questing,Space%20Force%2C%20up%20%243.9%20billion%20increase %20from%202023.), but again block its attempt to mothball 32 older F-22A Raptors.
And lawmakers want to see more of the Air Force’s plans for folding drone wingmen known as collaborative combat aircraft (https://www.defensenews.com/air/2023/03/08/us-air-force-eyes-fleet-of-1000-drone-wingmen-as-planning-accelerates/) into its fleet at an affordable rate, and how it plans to create the Next Generation Air Dominance future fighter platform, as part of the $874.2 billion conference version of the Fiscal 2024 National Defense Authorization Act (https://www.defensenews.com/congress/2023/12/07/final-defense-policy-bill-advances-aukus-taiwan-training/).
The Air Force proposed retiring 42 A-10s and 57 F-15C and D-model fighters as part of its proposed FY24 budget. This would bring the total number of A-10s down to 218, and the F-15C/Ds down to 92.
The conference NDAA would approve the Air Force’s A-10 request, but would allow the fleet to drop no lower until six months after the service sends Congress a report on how it plans to carry out close air support, combat search and rescue and other Warthog-centric missions.…
Congress also wants to see more details on the Air Force and Navy’s plans for their piloted NGAD programs. This would include key milestones, development and testing events, and performance goals for the engineering, manufacturing and development phase of NGAD, as well as expected costs for the EMD phase and low-rate initial production lots for NGAD’s air vehicle, propulsion, mission systems, subsystems, software, and other elements.
These so-called “matrices” would become the baseline for NGAD’s early phases. And the NDAA would also require the Government Accountability Office to review those matrices and identify cost, schedule or performance trends.
Lawmakers would prohibit the Air Force from moving to shut down the production line for the HH-60W Jolly Green II combat rescue helicopter, made by Sikorsky and Lockheed Martin. The Air Force has curtailed its planned purchase of HH-60Ws, arguing they would not be survivable in a high-end conflict with an advanced nation like China….
But the Air Force would get its request to retire two more E-3 Sentry airborne warning and control system aircraft in 2024, which would bring the AWACS fleet down to 16, but no further this year….
Meanwhile, Congress wants to see the Air Force’s plan for updating its tanker fleet — including the impending recapitalization of the KC-135 fleet, and then procurement of the Next Generation Air Refueling System, or NGAS — before the service can release its acquisition strategy for the KC-135 recapitalization.This should include a business case analysis, and validated requirements for the contract competition for the next wave of tanker purchases, the NDAA said.
The Air Force is strongly considering buying more KC-46 Pegasus tankers from Boeing for the next tranche of tankers, although Airbus is still planning to compete for the contract after its partner, Lockheed Martin, dropped out.
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.
Some supporters of military assistance to Ukraine have suggested giving it retiring A-10s (https://www.defensenews.com/opinion/commentary/2022/03/03/transfer-three-a-10-aircraft-squadrons-to-ukraine-now/), although the NDAA does not cite Ukraine in the provision.
Defense bill would let Air Force retire A-10s, F-15s — but not F-22s
WASHINGTON — A compromise defense policy bill released Wednesday night would grant the Air Force’s request to retire older F-15 Eagle fighters, A-10 Warthogs, and other aircraft (https://www.defensenews.com/air/2023/03/13/us-air-force-pursues-major-aircraft-retirements-in-2024/#:~:text=The%20Department%20of%20the%20Air%20Force%20is%20re questing,Space%20Force%2C%20up%20%243.9%20billion%20increase %20from%202023.), but again block its attempt to mothball 32 older F-22A Raptors.
And lawmakers want to see more of the Air Force’s plans for folding drone wingmen known as collaborative combat aircraft (https://www.defensenews.com/air/2023/03/08/us-air-force-eyes-fleet-of-1000-drone-wingmen-as-planning-accelerates/) into its fleet at an affordable rate, and how it plans to create the Next Generation Air Dominance future fighter platform, as part of the $874.2 billion conference version of the Fiscal 2024 National Defense Authorization Act (https://www.defensenews.com/congress/2023/12/07/final-defense-policy-bill-advances-aukus-taiwan-training/).
The Air Force proposed retiring 42 A-10s and 57 F-15C and D-model fighters as part of its proposed FY24 budget. This would bring the total number of A-10s down to 218, and the F-15C/Ds down to 92.
The conference NDAA would approve the Air Force’s A-10 request, but would allow the fleet to drop no lower until six months after the service sends Congress a report on how it plans to carry out close air support, combat search and rescue and other Warthog-centric missions.…
Congress also wants to see more details on the Air Force and Navy’s plans for their piloted NGAD programs. This would include key milestones, development and testing events, and performance goals for the engineering, manufacturing and development phase of NGAD, as well as expected costs for the EMD phase and low-rate initial production lots for NGAD’s air vehicle, propulsion, mission systems, subsystems, software, and other elements.
These so-called “matrices” would become the baseline for NGAD’s early phases. And the NDAA would also require the Government Accountability Office to review those matrices and identify cost, schedule or performance trends.
Lawmakers would prohibit the Air Force from moving to shut down the production line for the HH-60W Jolly Green II combat rescue helicopter, made by Sikorsky and Lockheed Martin. The Air Force has curtailed its planned purchase of HH-60Ws, arguing they would not be survivable in a high-end conflict with an advanced nation like China….
But the Air Force would get its request to retire two more E-3 Sentry airborne warning and control system aircraft in 2024, which would bring the AWACS fleet down to 16, but no further this year….
Meanwhile, Congress wants to see the Air Force’s plan for updating its tanker fleet — including the impending recapitalization of the KC-135 fleet, and then procurement of the Next Generation Air Refueling System, or NGAS — before the service can release its acquisition strategy for the KC-135 recapitalization.This should include a business case analysis, and validated requirements for the contract competition for the next wave of tanker purchases, the NDAA said.
The Air Force is strongly considering buying more KC-46 Pegasus tankers from Boeing for the next tranche of tankers, although Airbus is still planning to compete for the contract after its partner, Lockheed Martin, dropped out.
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.
Some supporters of military assistance to Ukraine have suggested giving it retiring A-10s (https://www.defensenews.com/opinion/commentary/2022/03/03/transfer-three-a-10-aircraft-squadrons-to-ukraine-now/), although the NDAA does not cite Ukraine in the provision.