As too many in Southern Arizona give up hope, Congressman Ron Barber is vowing to keep the fight going to save the A-10.
Some believe Barber’s press conference on Monday was a election year gimmick. Barber told the media, “The A-10 is an invaluable aircraft for our military, Davis-Monthan Air Force Base and the Tucson community. I will continue to be a voice for Arizona in Congress and keep up the fight to protect the A-10.”
However, others believe there is still a chance. A chance big enough to keep fighting for and a plane too good to give up on.
Barber’s comments came after Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel previewed the Pentagon’s fiscal year 2015 budget submission that will be delivered to Congress next week. As part of his proposal, Hagel recommended a reduction in the number of tactical air squadrons – including retiring the entire A-10 fleet.
Barber, a member of the House Armed Services Committee, said that the committee will carefully review Hagel’s proposal. Barber said Hagel’s move was not a surprise. “The Pentagon has said several times that it would like to retire the A-10s,” said Barber. Barber claims that he has “consistently fought that proposal and will continue to do so. I have worked with my colleagues – Republicans and Democrats – to build strong support in Congress for the A-10.”
However, it appears that he has, to date, been unsuccessful in winning over the rest of Arizona’s delegation.
Barber led the fight to include language in comprehensive defense legislation signed in December that prohibits the Pentagon from taking any action during 2014 to retire the A-10.
Earlier this month, Barber led a small bipartisan group of his colleagues in writing to the president urging him to sign an Executive Order to save the aircraft.
“The A-10 is solid, reliable and inexpensive to maintain,” Barber told the president. “It flies low and at slow speeds, providing unique and punishing firepower at extremely close distances with a durability that can take incoming fire in the hottest of battlefields and return home to fight another day.”
The 355th Fighter Wing at Davis-Monthan flies 82 of the planes and trains the next generation of A-10 pilots.
New electronics have been installed on A-10s and over the past few years, the Air Force began installing new wings on all the planes. The re-winging has been completed on all A-10s based at D-M. The new wings and electronics were touted as cost-effective ways to extend the life of the planes until at least 2028.