Bipartisan BRRRRT Act Seeks to Force Air Force to Keep 126 A-10 Warthogs
A bipartisan U.S. House bill, the BRRRRT Act (H.R. 9780), introduced by Rep. Abe Hamadeh (R-AZ) and Rep. Don Davis (D-NC), would require the U.S. Air Force to maintain at least 126 A-10 Thunderbolt II Warthogs, reversing planned retirements to a fleet of 103. The bill mandates reopening the Hill AFB maintenance depot, restarting pilot training, and restoring the Weapons School course. Further retirements require defense secretary certification of a fully operational replacement, with concurrence from the Army, Marine Corps, and SOCOM. The legislation follows A-10 combat operations in Iran and reflects ongoing congressional resistance to retiring the aircraft without a confirmed successor for close air support and combat search and rescue missions.
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BRRRRT Act Would Force Air Force to Keep 126 A-10 Warthogs and Reverse Retirement Plans
A bipartisan House bill, H.R. 9780, dubbed the BRRRRT Act, was introduced by Rep. Abe Hamadeh (R-AZ) and co-led by Rep. Don Davis (D-NC) to force the U.S. Air Force to maintain at least 126 A-10 Thunderbolt II Warthogs, significantly more than the service's planned floor of 103. The bill would require the Air Force to reverse closures of the A-10 maintenance depot at Hill Air Force Base, the pilot training pipeline, and the Weapons School course, all of which were cut in anticipation of fleet retirement. It comes as the Air Force has ramped up A-10 divestment without identifying a certified replacement for its close air support and combat search and rescue missions. The bill also makes retiring additional A-10s harder by requiring the defense secretary to certify a fully operational replacement, with written concurrence from the Army, Marine Corps, and SOCOM. If the bill fails, its provisions could be inserted into the annual defense authorization act, continuing a long-standing congressional battle to preserve the Warthog.
BRRRRT Act Would Force Air Force to Keep 126 A-10 Warthogs and Reverse Retirement Plans
A bipartisan House bill, the BRRRRT Act (H.R. 9780), introduced by Rep. Abe Hamadeh (R-AZ) and co-led by Rep. Don Davis (D-NC), would compel the U.S. Air Force to maintain at least 126 A-10 Thunderbolt II Warthogs, significantly more than the service's planned floor of 103. The bill would also require the Air Force to reverse the closure of the A-10 maintenance depot at Hill AFB, restart pilot training, and restore the weapons school course at Nellis AFB. It comes as the Air Force has accelerated A-10 divestment without identifying a certified replacement for its close air support and combat search and rescue missions. The bill would make further retirements contingent on a written certification from the Army Secretary, Marine Corps Commandant, and SOCOM chief that a replacement is fully operational. If the standalone bill fails, its provisions may be inserted into the annual defense authorization act.
BRRRRT Act Would Force Air Force to Keep 126 A-10 Warthogs and Reverse Retirement Plans
A bipartisan House bill, the BRRRRT Act (H.R. 9780), introduced by Rep. Abe Hamadeh (R-AZ) and co-led by Rep. Don Davis (D-NC), would require the U.S. Air Force to maintain at least 126 A-10 Thunderbolt II Warthogs, far exceeding the service's planned retirement floor of 103 aircraft. The bill would force the Air Force to reverse closures of the A-10 maintenance depot at Hill AFB, the pilot training pipeline, and the Weapons School course. It also mandates that the defense secretary certify a fully operational replacement aircraft—with input from the Army, Marine Corps, and SOCOM—before any further retirements. The legislation follows heavy A-10 combat use in Iran and a rescue mission for downed F-15E aircrew. The Air Force had planned to retire all 162 Warthogs but Congress previously set a 103-jet floor. The bill represents the latest congressional effort to preserve the close air support platform until a certified replacement exists.
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BRRRRT Act Would Force Air Force to Keep 126 A-10 Warthogs
A bipartisan House bill, the BRRRRT Act (H.R. 9780), introduced by Rep. Abe Hamadeh (R-AZ) and co-led by Rep. Don Davis (D-NC), would require the U.S. Air Force to maintain at least 126 A-10 Thunderbolt II Warthogs, far exceeding the service's planned fleet of 103. The bill aims to reverse the Air Force's divestment efforts, including the closure of the A-10 maintenance depot at Hill Air Force Base, the end of pilot training, and the winding down of the Weapons School course. It would also require the defense secretary to certify that a fully operational replacement exists before any further retirements, with input from the Army, Marine Corps, and Special Operations Command. The bill comes amid ongoing A-10 combat operations in Iran and the recovery of downed aircrew, and as the Air Force has not identified a specific replacement for the Warthog's close air support and combat search and rescue missions.
BRRRRT Act Would Force Air Force to Retain 126 A-10 Warthogs and Reverse Retirement Plans
A bipartisan House bill, the BRRRRT Act (H.R. 9780), introduced by Rep. Abe Hamadeh (R-Ariz.) and co-led by Rep. Don Davis (D-N.C.), would compel the U.S. Air Force to maintain at least 126 A-10 Thunderbolt II Warthogs, significantly more than the current congressional floor of 103. The bill aims to reverse the Air Force's divestment efforts, including the closure of the A-10 maintenance depot at Hill Air Force Base, the end of pilot training, and the winding down of the Weapons School course. It requires the defense secretary to certify that a fully operational replacement exists—with written concurrence from the Army, Marine Corps, and SOCOM—before any further retirements. The legislation follows heavy A-10 involvement in operations in Iran and the Strait of Hormuz, and reflects ongoing congressional resistance to the Air Force's plan to retire the aircraft without a confirmed successor for close air support and combat search and rescue missions.
BRRRRT Act Would Force Air Force to Keep 126 A-10 Warthogs and Reverse Retirement Plans
A bipartisan House bill, the BRRRRT Act (H.R. 9780), introduced by Rep. Abe Hamadeh (R-Ariz.) and co-led by Rep. Don Davis (D-N.C.), would require the U.S. Air Force to maintain at least 126 A-10 Thunderbolt II Warthogs, significantly more than the service's planned floor of 103. The bill would force the Air Force to reverse depot closures, pilot training pipeline dismantlement, and weapons course wind-downs. It also mandates that the defense secretary certify a fully operational replacement—with concurrence from the Army, Marine Corps, and SOCOM—before further retirements. The legislation comes amid ongoing A-10 combat operations in Iran and combat search and rescue missions, and as the Air Force has not identified a direct successor for close air support and CSAR roles. If the standalone bill fails, its provisions may be inserted into the annual defense authorization act.