Air Force planning to cut three A-10 squadrons

Via Billy

Rep. Martha McSally said Wednesday newly announced Air Force plans show it will cut three A-10 Thunderbolt II squadrons.

The Air Force told a House committee it is committed to keeping six squadrons of the so-called Warthog, a favorite of infantry troops known for its massive nose cannon. But McSally, a former A-10 pilot, said the current fleet includes nine squadrons and the service appears to be angling toward a reduction of the aircraft.

“It’s the first time you’ve publicly said that you are going to go down to six squadrons,” McSally, R-Ariz., told Air Force officials during a House Armed Services hearing. “I’d really like to know what those planning assumptions are of the six squadrons.”

The reductions could begin within the next few years, McSally said.