Congress is moving to impose new restrictions on several planned Air Force aircraft retirements as part of the fiscal year 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).
The legislation, which includes House- and Senate-negotiated text, would adjust minimum inventory levels, delay approved divestitures, and add new reporting requirements across a range of legacy fleets. The NDAA is a yearly defense policy measure that must pass both chambers before being signed into law. The current draft reflects the version heading toward final consideration.
A-10 Provisions
The bill modifies a previous statutory requirement for A-10 Warthog inventory levels by adjusting the Primary Mission Aircraft Inventory (PMAI) minimum to 93 aircraft through October 1, 2026, replacing the earlier mandate of 96. It also blocks the Air Force from taking retirement steps between October 1, 2025, and September 30, 2026, that would reduce the total number of A-10s below 103 aircraft.
During that period, the service may not “reduce funding for unit personnel or weapon system sustainment activities…in a manner that presumes future congressional authority to divest such aircraft,” nor place aircraft into “XJ” status—an Air Force designation for aircraft considered excess to a unit’s requirements and awaiting formal disposition instructions.
Aircraft in XJ status are not flyable for missions and are typically prepared for retirement, transfer, or long-term storage.
Individual A-10s may still be removed from service if deemed uneconomical to repair due to accidents, mishaps, or material degradation.
The legislation also requires a detailed briefing to Congress by March 31, 2026, outlining every A-10 aircraft by tail number and fleet category, planned divestment dates, and the Air Force’s full retirement and transition plan ahead of its goal to divest the fleet before 2029.
Around 200 A-10s remain in service, down from the 700 built.
F-15E Restrictions
The bill also proposes new limits on F-15E Strike Eagle retirement authority. From enactment through the end of fiscal 2026, the Air Force would be prohibited from retiring any F-15Es. The service could retire up to 21 aircraft in fiscal 2027 and 30 in fiscal 2028, with a cumulative limit of 51 through September 30, 2030.
The measure similarly bars reductions to personnel or sustainment funding in ways that anticipate future approval to divest the aircraft.
KC-10 Storage Requirements
Retired KC-10 Extenders would be required to remain preserved in the “same storage condition” they held on September 30, 2025. They may be disposed of under existing federal property rules, but the Air Force cannot alter their preservation status beforehand.
The last KC-10 was retired in September 2024.
E-3 AWACS Limits and E-7 Transition
The legislation would prohibit reductions that take the E-3 Sentry fleet below 16 aircraft in fiscal 2026, including any step toward retirement, storage, or backup inventory placement. The restriction may be lifted if the Air Force submits a plan to Congress showing how mission readiness would be maintained.
The limitations would also not apply once sufficient E-7 Wedgetail aircraft are procured and delivered to assume the E-3 mission load.
Other fleet-specific measures include:
- RQ-4 Global Hawk: Extension of the existing prohibition on reducing the fleet through September 30, 2030
- C-130 Hercules: One-year extension of the minimum fleet requirement and continued prohibition on reducing Air National Guard C-130 units
- B-1B Lancer: Extension of the ban on reducing B-1 bomber squadrons through September 30, 2030
The bill also updates the statutory requirement for the Air Force’s annual tactical fighter force-structure report, extending it through 2030.
The NDAA authorizes programs and sets force-structure requirements across the Department of Defense. While it does not appropriate funds, it establishes limits and reporting mandates that guide service planning.
