U.S. Air Force Plans Major Fleet Overhaul in 2026 Budget Proposal

The U.S. Air Force has announced an ambitious plan to retire 340 aircraft, including its entire fleet of 162 A-10 Warthogs, as part of its fiscal year 2026 budget request. If approved, this would mark the largest divestment in years, accelerating efforts to modernize the fleet and reallocate resources.

Among the significant moves is the cancellation of the E-7 Wedgetail airborne battle management aircraft, citing cost increases and schedule delays. Instead, the Pentagon will explore space-based solutions and potential expansion of the E-2D Hawkeye fleet to fulfill airborne early warning and control roles.

Key Retirements and Cancellations

• A-10 Warthog: Entire fleet (162 aircraft) to be retired by FY2026.
• Other aircraft slated for retirement include:
  • 62 F-16C/Ds
  • 21 F-15Es
  • 13 F-15C/Ds
  • 14 C-130Hs
  • 3 EC-130Hs
  • 14 KC-135 tankers
  • 11 HH-60G rescue helicopters
  • 35 T-1 Texan trainers
  • 4 UH-1N helicopters
  • 1 B-1B Lancer

Notably, Block 20 F-22 Raptors are not included, despite past retirement attempts blocked by Congress.

Budget Highlights

• Air Force discretionary request: $184.9 billion
• Space Force discretionary request: $26.1 billion
• Total (with reconciliation bill): $249.5 billion (+17.2% over FY2025)
  • Includes $38.6 billion in mandatory spending pending congressional approval.

Modernization and Procurement

• B-21 Raider stealth bomber:
  • $10.3B total request (procurement rising from $1.9B in FY25 to $2.6B in FY26)
• F-15EX Eagle II:
  • 21 jets requested, $3.1B funding
• F-35A Lightning II:
  • Procurement cut from 44 to 24 jets
  • Funding drops to $3.6B (from $4.5B)
  • Emphasis shifts to sustainment and Block 4 upgrades
• Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA):
  • $807M for uncrewed wingman platform development
• T-7A Red Hawk Trainers:
  • 14 aircraft requested, $362M

Research & Development (RDT&E)

• F-47 Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD):
  • R&D increases to $2.6B (potentially $3.5B with reconciliation)
• Total RDT&E budget: $46.4B (includes $36.2B discretionary)

Munitions and Hypersonics

• AGM-183A ARRW: $387M restoration to revive hypersonic program
• GBU-57 MOP (Massive Ordnance Penetrator): Slight funding decrease to $6.8M

Strategic Direction

The budget reflects a strategic pivot from legacy systems to next-generation capabilities, with a growing emphasis on:

• AI-enabled platforms
• Uncrewed systems
• Space-based infrastructure
• Enhanced survivability and flexibility in contested environments