WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Kelly Ayotte today released the following statement on provisions regarding the A-10 aircraft included in the current version of the Fiscal Year 2015 National Defense Authorization Act:

"I am very pleased that the negotiated version of the 2015 National Defense Authorization Act prohibits the Air Force from retiring, preparing to retire, or placing in storage any A-10 aircraft-which represents a significant victory for our ground troops who rely on the A-10 to protect them in combat in a way that no other aircraft can.

"However, I am disappointed that the final package includes unnecessary language that could allow the Air Force to move up to 36 A-10 aircraft to backup flying status in order to transfer the associated maintenance personnel to other units.

"The Senate Armed Services Committee, the House Armed Services Committee, and the full House of Representatives sent a clear, strong, and bipartisan message regarding their desire to prevent the premature retirement of the A-10. The amendment adopted by the Senate Armed Services Committee on a resounding bipartisan basis this summer explicitly prohibited ‘significant changes to manning levels with respect to any A-10 aircraft squadrons.'

"As the Secretary of Defense and the Director of the office of Cost Assessment and Program Evaluation (CAPE) consider the Air Force's likely request next year to gut the maintenance personnel for A-10s and pursue a back door divestment, I hope the Secretary of Defense and Director of CAPE will take the time to listen to the unfiltered opinions of our ground troops and Joint Terminal Attack Controllers (JTACs). If they do, they will understand that the premature retirement of the A-10 will create a close air support capability gap that will seriously endanger American lives. For that reason, I will continue to fight to retain the A-10 until an aircraft with an equivalent close air support capability achieves full operational capability."

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