The Davis-Monthan Air Force Base near Tucson houses one of the country’s largest fleets of A-10 Thunderbolts.
A bipartisan majority of Arizona’s congressional delegation opposes an Air Force plan to retire a significant number of the aircraft.
Defense News says the Air Force wants to reduce its fleet of A-10s — also known as Warthogs — by roughly 15%, which is a couple jets fewer than what Military.com says the Air Force tried and failed to cut this fiscal year.
Arizona’s two senators and most House members are demanding more information from the Air Force. They signed a letter earlier this month calling the A-10 “a vital asset” and “an iconic symbol of the Arizona defense community.”
The letter sought an estimated release date for a report comparing the A-10 with the F-35. Without that report, lawmakers wrote, retiring A-10s is restricted by law.
