Shortly after the July recess, the Senate Appropriations Committee will draft their version of the appropriations bill for the FY15 NDAA, and supporters of the A-10 are rallying support for the low and slow flying aircraft.
According to Jane’s Defense Weekly, the Russians and the Iraqis still think an aircraft that specializes in close air support is worth retaining and is the best aircraft to deal with the threats the Iraqis face from ISIS. “Often described as a ‘flying tank,’ the Su-25 is the Russian equivalent of the US’s much-lauded Fairchild-Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II in that it is designed to loiter over the battlefield with a wide array and heavy load of weaponry to provide close air support (CAS) to troops on the ground.”
At the same time, the United States Air Force is working frantically to kill the plane that the troops on the ground love and trust with their lives.
Earlier this month, through the efforts of Arizona Congressman Ron Barber, the A-10 survived the budget process. An amendment was added to the House’s version of the NDAA, which would prevent the Air Force from spending any money on mothballing or otherwise destroying the aircraft. The entire Arizona congressional delegation joined Barber in support of the A-10 except Ann Kirkpatrick.
| Barbara Mikulski | Stephen Ham | stephen_ham@mikulski.senate.gov | (202) 224-4654 |
| Patrick J. Leahy | Sherman Patrick | sherman_patrick@leahy.senate.gov | (202) 224-4242 |
| Tom Harkin | Tom Buttry | tom_buttry@harkin.senate.gov | (202) 224-3254 |
| Patty Murray | Adam Goodwin | adam_goodwin@murray.senate.gov | (202) 224-2621 |
| Dianne Feinstein | Christopher Gaspar | christopher_gaspar@feinstein.senate.gov | (202) 224-3841 |
| Richard J. Durbin | Nick Deml | nick_deml@durbin.senate.gov | (202) 224-2152 |
| Tim Johnson | Karen Kunze | karen_kunze@johnson.senate.gov | (202) 224-5842 |
| Mary L. Landrieu | Ross Nodurst | ross_nodurst@landrieu.senate.gov | (202) 224-5824 |
| Jack Reed | Carolyn Chuhta | carolyn_chuhta@reed.senate.gov | (202) 224-4642 |
| Mark Pryor | Chris Sweipzer | chris_sweipzer@pryor.senate.gov | (202) 224-2353 |
| Jon Tester | Jorge Rueda | jorge_rueda@tester.senate.gov | (202) 224-2644 |
| Tom Udall | Matthew Padilla | matthew_padilla@udall.senate.gov | (202) 224-6621 |
| Jeanne Shaheen | Patrick Day | patrick_day@shaheen.senate.gov | (202) 224-2841 |
| Jeff Merkley | Adrian Snead | adrian_snead@merkley.senate.gov | (202) 224-3753 |
| Mark Begich | Cory Turney | cory_turney@begich.senate.gov | (202) 224 – 3004 |
| Chris Coons | Bradley Fultz | bradley_fultz@coons.senate.gov | (202) 224-5042 |
| Richard C. Shelby | Shannon Cantwell | shannon_cantwell@shelby.senate.gov | (202) 224-5744 |
| Thad Cochran | Will Todd | will_todd@cochran.senate.gov | (202) 224-5054 |
| Mitch McConnell | Phil Maxsom | phil_maxsom@mcconnell.senate.gov | (202) 224-2541 |
| Lamar Alexander | Daniel Hale | daniel_hale@alexander.senate.gov | (202) 224-4944 |
| Susan Collins | Jill Carney | jill_carney@collins.senate.gov | (202) 224-2523 |
| Lisa Murkowski | Nathan Bergerbest | nathan_bergerbest@murkowski.senate.gov | (202) 224-6665 |
| Lindsey Graham | Craig Abele | craig_abele@graham.senate.gov | (202) 224-5972 |
| Mark Kirk | Brandon Greene | brandon_greene@kirk.senate.gov | (202) 224-2854 |
| Dan Coats | Jim Dolbow | jim_dolbow@coats.senate.gov | (202) 224-5623 |
| Roy Blunt | Bo Brosch | bo_brosch@blunt.senate.gov | (202) 224-5721 |
| Jerry Moran | Caroline Prosch | caroline_prosch@moran.senate.gov | (202) 224-6521 |
| John Hoeven | Josh Carter | josh_carter@hoeven.senate.gov | (202) 224-2551 |
| Mike Johanns | Jillian Workman | jillian_workman@johanns.senate.gov | (202) 224-4224 |
| John Boozman | Toni-Marie Higgins | toni-marie_higgins@boozman.senate.gov | (202) 224-4843 |
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Air Force brass taken to task for A-10 mothball plans