They promised to save the A-10, but now it appears that Congresswoman Marth McSally and Senator John McCain have broken their promises. That is according to experts, who have reviewed the final version of the National Defense Authorization Act.
After the final vote, which occurred on August 1, McCain tweeted out:
It has been one of the great honors of my tenure to serve as Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee & provide for all those who risk life & limb to secure our freedom. The #FY19NDAA gives these heroes the support & resources they need to succeed.
Contrary to his claim, the amount of funding allotted for the A-10 fleet is a fraction of what was needed to maintain the fleet. The funding for the A-10 will only provide a total of 4 sets of wings to be delivered in the Fiscal Year 2022 timeframe. This, says experts, is far short of the fleet requirements.
McSally claimed this year, as part of her Senate run, that she “has continued to fight to modernize the fleet by ensuring that Congress provides funds to re-wing the remaining A-10’s that need new wings in order to keep the entire fleet in the air and in the fight through 2030 and beyond.”
However, due to McSally’s and McCain’s unwillingness or inability to fight for the venerable A-10 Warthog, the USAF agency responsible for A-10 sustainment projects high or severe risk to maintaining the current fleet size. Experts agree we are likely to see 12 A-10s grounded between October 2018 and September 2019. In Fiscal Year 2020, another 20 A-10s will be grounded. In Fiscal Year 2021, another 17 A-10s will be grounded.
For residents in places like southern Arizona, the loss of the A-10 could prove economically devastating. Southern Arizona is home to the Davis Monthan Air Force Base which hosts the A-10-centric 355th Fighter Wing.
The final vote on the NDAA was 87-10. Neither McCain, nor Senator Jeff Flake was available to vote on the bill. McCain is suffering from a fatal brain cancer. He has has not been able to perform his duties at the Capitol since the 2017 Christmas break. Flake has been in Zimbabwe since the end of July.