On Tuesday, the results of the negotiated National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2015 were released to the public. The good news for supporters of the Air Force’s A-10, according to sources, is that there was a significant victory that few would have predicted; a prohibition on the retirement of an additional A-10s in FY 2015.
The bad news is that the language in the plan could still open the door for the Air Force to take maintenance personnel from “up to 36 A-10 aircraft” by moving the aircraft into “backup flying status”. Sources say that this is the “backdoor divestment” that Senator Kelly Ayotte warned about in discussions and in writing to Ranking Member Inhofe on September 19.
Because A-10 supporters and defense experts say that claiming that the F-35 is a replacement for the A-10 is a false narrative, and language allowing for a backdoor divestment was seen as a “cynical 11th hour ploy” by the Air Force.
The Air Force has been desperate to scrap the entire A-10 “Warthog” fleet, in order to justify the money they have squandered on the F-35.
The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2015 reads in part:
SEC. 133. PROHIBITION ON AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS FOR RETIREMENT OF A–10 AIRCRAFT.
(a) PROHIBITION ON RETIREMENT.—None of the funds authorized to be appropriated by this Act or otherwise made available for fiscal year 2015 for the Air Force may be obligated or expended to retire, prepare to retire, or place in storage any A–10 aircraft, except for such aircraft the Secretary of the Air Force, as of April 9, 2013, planned to retire.
(b) LIMITATION ON MANNING LEVELS.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided under paragraph (2), none of the funds authorized to be appropriated by this Act or otherwise made available for fiscal year 2015 for the Air Force may be obligated or expended to make significant changes to manning levels with respect to any A–10 aircraft squadrons.
(2) EXCEPTION.—
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(A) BACK UP FLYING STATUS.—The Secretary of Defense may authorize the Secretary of the Air Force to move up to 36 A–10 aircraft in the active component to backup flying status, and make conforming personnel adjustments, for the duration of fiscal year 2015 if—
(i) on or before the date that is 45 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense submits to the congressional defense committees the certification described in subparagraph (B); and
(ii) a period of 30 days has elapsed following the date of such submittal.
(B) CERTIFICATION.—A certification described in this subparagraph is a certification that the Secretary of Defense has—
(i) received the results of the independent assessment under subsection (c) by the Director of Cost Assessment and Program Evaluation regarding alternative ways to provide manpower during fiscal year 2015 to maintain the fighter fleet of the Air Force and to field F–35 aircraft;
And
(ii) determined, after giving consideration to such assessment, that an action to move A–10 aircraft under subparagraph
(A) is required to avoid—
(I) significantly degrading the readiness of the fighter fleet of the Air Force; or
(II) significantly delaying the planned fielding of F–35 aircraft.
(c) INDEPENDENT ASSESSMENT.—Not later than 30 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Director of Cost Assessment and Program Evaluation shall conduct an independent assessment of alternative ways to provide manpower during fiscal year 2015 to maintain the fighter fleet of the Air Force and to field F–35 aircraft. In conducting such assessment, the Director shall give
consideration to the implementation approaches proposed by the Air Force and to other alternatives, including the retirement of other aircraft and the use of civilian or contractor maintainers on an interim basis for A–10 aircraft, F–35 aircraft, or other aircraft.
(d) COMPTROLLER GENERAL STUDY.—
(1) STUDY.—The Comptroller General of the United States shall conduct an independent study of the platforms used to conduct the close air support mission in light of the recommendation of the Air Force to retire the A–10 fleet.
(2) REPORT.—Not later than March 30, 2015, the Comptroller General shall brief the congressional defense committees on the preliminary findings of the study under paragraph (1), with a report to follow as soon as practicable, that includes an assessment of—
(A) the alternatives considered by the Air Force that led to the recommendation to retire the A–10 fleet, including the relative costs, benefits, and assumptions associated with the alternatives to such retirement;
(B) any capability gaps in close air support that would be created by such retirement and to what extent the Department of Defense has plans to address such capability gaps; and
(C) any capability gaps in air superiority or global strike that could be created by the added cost to the Air Force of retaining the A–10 fleet.