# @thevigilantheroes on Instagram

- **Type:** Image
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/DLeA1mFMDO2
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/66793577-thevigilantheroes-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/postThumbnails/1ecc07fdb9.jpg
- **Posted:** 2025-06-29T03:04:34.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** Vigilant Heroes (@thevigilantheroes) — https://gondola.cc/thevigilantheroes

## Caption

The Air Force wants to retire its entire fleet of 162 A-10 Warthogs in FY26 — marking the final chapter for the iconic “Warthog” close air support jet. That’s just part of a massive drawdown that would see 340 aircraft retired across the service, including 62 F-16s, 21 F-15Es, 14 C-130Hs, 14 KC-135 tankers, 35 T-1 trainers, 11 HH-60Gs, and even a lone B-1 Lancer.
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The plan comes as part of the Pentagon’s long-delayed $211B FY26 budget request — $184.9B for the Air Force and $26.1B for the Space Force. A separate $38.6B “mandatory” funding bill could push the total to $249.5B, a 17.2% jump over FY25 levels. But if that doesn’t pass, Space Force could face an 8.7% budget cut.
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Another surprise: the Pentagon wants to cancel the E-7 Wedgetail program due to “significant delays” and spiraling costs — despite the aircraft being planned as a critical AWACS replacement.
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Retiring the A-10 fleet earlier than the originally planned 2030 sunset marks a major pivot. Congress had long resisted divesting the fan-favorite jet — but with orders from the Secretary of Defense to trim ~8% from the budget & reallocate to future-focused platforms, the Air Force is accelerating legacy retirements.
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Still off the chopping block: The 32 non-combat capable Block 20 F-22A Raptors — despite repeated attempts to retire them, Congress again said no.
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Meanwhile, the FY26 budget boosts investment in next-gen systems:
• $10.3B for the B-21 Raider stealth bomber
• $4.2B for the LGM-35A Sentinel ICBM
• $3.1B for 21 new F-15EX jets
However, the Pentagon plans to slash F-35 buys from 74 to just 47 across all services. For the Air Force, that’s a nearly 50% cut — from 44 F-35As in FY25 to 24 in FY26 — putting the service far below its benchmark of 72 new fighters per year to keep pace with threats.
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We’ll keep you updated: thevigilantheroes
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## Tags

airforce, helicopter, refuel, defense, avgeek, awacs, veteran, instaaviation, fighter, a10, retirement, military, futurewar, congress, airpower, helo, f22, budget, raptor, usaf

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