Ayotte Statement on Air Force's Renewed Effort to Divest the A-10

Press Release

U.S. Senator Kelly Ayotte, Chair of the Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Readiness and Management Support, today released the following statement regarding the Air Force's request to divest the A-10 fleet as part of the Department of Defense Fiscal Year 2016 budget proposal:

"I am deeply disappointed that the Air Force has again decided to seek the premature divestment of the A-10, despite the fact that A-10s are actively engaged in combat against ISIS - demonstrating the continued need for this effective and reliable aircraft.

"Our ground troops and Joint Terminal Attack Controllers-our nation's true close air support experts-overwhelmingly believe that the A-10 provides life-saving close air support capabilities that no other current aircraft can. That's why Congress - on a bipartisan, bicameral basis - prohibited the Air Force from retiring any A-10s in fiscal year 2015.

"In order to ensure our ground troops have the best close air support they need to accomplish their missions and return home safely, I will continue to oppose the Air Force's proposal to divest the A-10 before an equally capable close air support aircraft achieves full operational capability."

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