The U.S. Air Force has given up the fight to retire the A-10 attack jet as the flying branch concedes that the close-support aircraft is crucial in the fight against ISIL.
By English: Airman 1st Class Benjamin Wiseman, U.S. Air Force (www.defense.gov) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
Pentagon officials told Defense One that while the A-10 would still need to be retired to make way for the F-35, current demands from commanders have shelved immediate plans to take it out of service.
A strong supporter of the aircraft, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, told the publication that he “welcome reports that the Air Force has decided to keep the A-10 aircraft flying through fiscal year 2017.”
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