Rep Abe Hamadeh Introduces Bipartisan BRRRRT Act To Keep 126 A-10 Warthogs Flying Through 2033

Arizona Republican Rep. Abe Hamadeh (R-AZ08) has introduced bipartisan legislation requiring the U.S. Air Force to maintain at least 126 A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft through fiscal year 2033 and preserve the personnel, training, and maintenance programs needed to keep the aircraft operational.

Hamadeh introduced H.R. 9780, formally titled the Bolstering Recognition, Resurgence, Retention, and Remembrance of the Thunderbolt Act, this week. The measure is known as the BRRRRT Act in reference to the distinctive sound produced by the aircraft’s GAU-8/A Avenger 30-millimeter cannon. 

Democratic North Carolina Rep. Don Davis is co-leading the legislation. Republican Reps. Richard McCormick of Georgia, Derrick Van Orden of Wisconsin, Sam Graves of Missouri and Cory Mills of Florida joined the bill as original cosponsors, according to Hamadeh’s congressional office. The bill was referred to the House Armed Services Committee. 

Congressman Hamadeh’s BRRRRT Act is about common sense and national security. It keeps faith with the men and women who depend on the A-10 Thunderbolt II in combat, delivering the most lethal close air support when our troops need it most.https://t.co/9v3Q1OmPST

— Office of Congressman Abe Hamadeh (@RepAbeHamadeh) July 23, 2026

“The A-10 has repeatedly proven itself on the battlefield, saving American lives and delivering unmatched close air support when our troops need it most,” Hamadeh said. “The BRRRRT Act ensures we do not retire a proven weapons system before a certified replacement exists. This is about common sense, national security, and keeping faith with the men and women who depend on the A-10 in combat.”

The legislation would maintain a larger A-10 fleet than the Air Force currently plans to operate. The service entered fiscal year 2026 with 162 Warthogs and initially sought congressional authority to retire the entire fleet during the fiscal year, according to Military Times. Congress rejected the proposal and established a minimum operational inventory of 103 aircraft. 

🇺🇸ICYMI🇺🇸

Congressman Hamadeh wrote a letter to@SecWar commending U.S. forces for the successful rescue of American troops in Iran using the legendary A-10 Warthog.

This incredible aircraft — a pride of Arizona — must stay in the fight until there’s a proven replacement.… pic.twitter.com/zltfoQLarQ

— Office of Congressman Abe Hamadeh (@RepAbeHamadeh) July 22, 2026

The Air Force announced in April that it would retain two A-10 squadrons through 2030 following requests from President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. The plan preserves one active-duty squadron at Moody Air Force Base in Georgia and an Air Force Reserve squadron at Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri, according to Hamadeh’s office. Approximately 54 aircraft would remain across three squadrons under the service’s current plan. 

Hamadeh’s bill would extend the fleet’s required service life by another three years and more than double the number of aircraft expected to remain under that plan.

The measure would also require the secretary of the Air Force to submit a plan within 90 days of enactment outlining how the service will restore depot maintenance, pilot training, weapons instruction, flight testing and other sustainment programs dismantled in anticipation of the aircraft’s retirement, according to Military Times. 

The A-10 depot maintenance line at Hill Air Force Base in Utah closed in February when the final aircraft completed programmed maintenance. The Air Force Materiel Command described the departure as the end of a maintenance mission that had sustained the aircraft for decades. The Air Force graduated its final class of new A-10 pilots in April, while the A-10 course at the U.S. Air Force Weapons School at Nellis Air Force Base is also winding down. 

The BRRRRT Act would prohibit additional retirements until the defense secretary certifies that a replacement aircraft has been fielded and is fully operational. That determination would require written concurrence from the secretary of the Army, the commandant of the Marine Corps and the commander of U.S. Special Operations Command, according to The Aviationist. 

A replacement would qualify under the legislation only when close air support is its primary mission. The Air Force has previously planned to distribute the A-10’s missions among multirole aircraft, including the F-35A Lightning II, F-15E Strike Eagle and F-16 Fighting Falcon. 

Meeting the proposed 126-aircraft requirement could force the Air Force to suspend scheduled retirements and return some aircraft from storage at the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, commonly known as the aircraft boneyard, Military Times reported. 

Arizona has played a central role in the A-10 program since its beginning. The first production A-10A was delivered to Davis-Monthan in October 1975, according to an Air National Guard history of the aircraft. The aircraft was designed specifically to provide close air support for troops on the ground and can operate at low altitudes and speeds while carrying weapons against armored vehicles and other ground targets. 

The aircraft’s cockpit and portions of its flight-control system are protected by titanium armor, while redundant structural and control systems allow it to continue operating after sustaining combat damage, according to the Air Force’s A-10 fact sheet. 

The debate over the fleet intensified following recent combat operations against Iran. A-10s participated in the operation supporting the recovery of two airmen whose F-15E Strike Eagle was shot down during an April mission, according to Military Times. The Air Force confirmed that U.S. forces recovered both service members from Iran on April 4. 

Hamadeh previously secured two A-10-related provisions in the House version of the fiscal year 2027 National Defense Authorization Act. Those provisions could provide another avenue for preserving portions of the BRRRRT Act if the standalone bill does not advance, according to Military Times.