US Air Force to Retire 162 A-10 in 2026, New Boeing E-7 Program Cancellation

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WASHINGTON, D.C.- The U.S. Air Force plans to retire its entire fleet of A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft in fiscal year 2026, marking a historic shift in airpower strategy.

Under the same 2026 budget proposal, the Pentagon is canceling the Boeing E-7 Wedgetail program due to delays and rising costs, impacting future airborne command capabilities.

USAF to Retire All A-10s

As part of the Department of Defense’s $211 billion discretionary funding request for FY2026, the U.S. Air Force seeks to retire 340 aircraft, including the final 162 A-10s, also known as Warthogs.

The move accelerates previous plans to phase out the close-air-support platform by 2030. If approved, this would represent the largest aircraft divestment by the service in recent years.

Additional retirements include:

62 F-16C/Ds
21 F-15Es
13 F-15C/Ds
14 C-130H (IATA: LRD)
3 EC-130Hs
14 KC-135 Stratotankers
11 HH-60G Pave Hawks
4 UH-1Ns
35 T-1A Jayhawks
1 B-1B Lancer

Notably absent from the list are 32 Block 20 F-22As, which Congress has repeatedly refused to retire despite Air Force concerns about combat effectiveness.

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Boeing E-7 Wedgetail Program Cancelled

The Boeing E-7 Wedgetail, which was positioned to replace the aging E-3 Sentry AWACS aircraft, has been cut from the 2026 budget. Rising costs—from $588 million to $724 million per aircraft—and concerns about survivability in contested airspace led to the cancellation.

In its place, the Pentagon aims to invest in space-based surveillance systems and bolster existing capabilities with more Northrop Grumman E-2D Hawkeye aircraft.

This move marks a significant departure from previous Air Force strategy, which prioritized the E-7 as the cornerstone of future airborne battle management.

Strategic Investments in Modern Platforms

Despite the divestments, the Air Force budget increases investment in several key areas:

B-21 Raider (IATA: EDW): $10.3 billion total, including $2.6 billion in procurement and $2.1 billion in reconciliation funding.
LGM-35A Sentinel ICBM: $4.2 billion to replace the Minuteman III.
F-15EX Eagle II: $3.1 billion to procure 21 new fighters, up from 18 in 2025.
F-35A Lightning II: Reduced procurement from 44 to 24 jets; budget drops from $4.5 billion to $3.6 billion.
Next Generation Air Dominance (F-47): R&D increases from $2.4 billion to $2.6 billion, with a potential boost to $3.5 billion including reconciliation funds.

Procurement for the Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) drone program also rises to $807 million, aimed at accelerating autonomous wingman development.

Budget Implications and Outlook

The Department of the Air Force’s total requested budget stands at $249.5 billion, including both discretionary and mandatory (reconciliation) spending.

If Congress does not pass the reconciliation bill, the Air Force’s budget would remain nearly flat at $184.9 billion, and the Space Force would face an 8.7% funding cut.

Personnel funding is projected at $44.5 billion, while operations and maintenance requests total $77.7 billion across both budget categories. Procurement allocations for 2026 would be:

$24.8 billion for aircraft
$6.1 billion for missile systems
$784 million for ammunition

The budget also includes $362 million to purchase 14 Boeing T-7A Red Hawk trainers, while omitting new E-7 procurement entirely.

In a notable reversal, $387 million is restored for Lockheed Martin’s AGM-183A Air-launched Rapid Response Weapon (ARRW), signaling renewed interest despite past setbacks.

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