US Air Force plan to retire 1,000 aircraft leads Congress to raise national security concerns
Part of the A-10 Thunderbolt II is expected to be phased out. (Photo: US Air Force)
The US Air Force has planned to retire more than 1,000 helicopters and AEW&C, combat, ISR, transport and training aircraft that have been in service for more than 30 years.
The US Air Force’s (USAF) plan to phase out more than 1,000 aircraft over the coming five years has become a cause of concern for the US Senate. Although the branch intended to replace part of its ageing inventory with new platforms, it cut $2 billion in procurement programmes in its FY2025 budget request.
During a recent hearing at the US Senate Committee on Appropriations, Republican senator Susan Collins (Maine) claimed the cuts, which could result in capability gaps in both the short and medium terms, would lead to “a much smaller air force”.
“Each budget request must account for both the threats we
Our news & analysis is now part of Defence Insight®
A Basic-level or higher Defence Insight subscription is now required to view this content.
More from Air Warfare
-
![Eurosatory 2026: MBDA and Thales look to civilian industry for loitering munition scale-up]()
Eurosatory 2026: MBDA and Thales look to civilian industry for loitering munition scale-up
Thales and MBDA have taken steps to ensure the mass production of their respective loitering munition offerings at Eurosatoy, teaming with civilian manufacturers. These moves come amid France’s push towards sovereign drone production and continued market expansion.
-
![Eurosatory 2026: How the deep-strike, loitering munition market skyrocketed to $13.8 billion in three years]()
Eurosatory 2026: How the deep-strike, loitering munition market skyrocketed to $13.8 billion in three years
Ukraine’s rapid development of long-range, deep-strike loitering munitions has helped turn the sector into a market worth an estimated US$13.2 billion. The reasons behind this were outlined during Eurosatory 2026, as other countries embark on the early stages of procuring this capability.
-
![Eurosatory 2026: Why security agencies are expanding UAS operations across Europe]()
Eurosatory 2026: Why security agencies are expanding UAS operations across Europe
Uncrewed aerial systems (UAS) are an increasingly important tool for Europe’s law enforcement and public security agencies, with the past two years seeing rapid growth in operational deployment, procurement and regulatory acceptance.
