A-10 Retirement
As part of a strategy to get rid of 340 planes, the Air Force aims to retire its last 162 A-10 Warthog fighters in fiscal year 2026.
An official added that the Pentagon also wants to discontinue the E-7 Wedgetail program because of “significant delays” and cost increases.
The Pentagon announced its delayed budget plan for 2026, which includes a $211 billion discretionary budget for the Department of the Air Force.
At the same time, the service disclosed its list of planned aircraft retirements. That includes a $184.9 billion discretionary budget for the U.S. Air Force and a $26.1 billion discretionary budget for the Space Force.
As part of the budget reconciliation plan, the Pentagon also wants to add $38.6 billion in “mandatory” spending. This would include $24.7 billion for the Air Force and $13.8 billion for the Space Force.
If that passes, the department will get $249.5 billion in total funding, which is 17.2% more than what was spent in 2025.
The Space Force
If the reconciliation bill doesn’t pass and the administration’s request is carried out as is, the Space Force would have to cut its budget by 8.7% starting in 2025. The Air Force’s budget would be about the same as the $184.1 billion it got in 2025.
If Congress gives the Air Force all of its requested retirements, it will be the biggest retirement of planes in years.
Earlier this year, the service responded to a new cost-cutting mandate. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered an 8% reduction in defense spending. Therefore, the Air Force decided to speed up aircraft retirements.
Notably, it now plans to shut down the entire A-10 program. This marks a sharp shift from earlier plans to retire Warthogs by the decade’s end.
Recently, lawmakers approved some A-10 retirements after long disagreements with the Air Force. Congress’s willingness to permit a complete phase-out is still unknown, though.
Meanwhile, the Air Force will retire other aging platforms as well. It aims to cut 62 F-16Cs and Ds from the fleet.
Additionally, it plans to retire 21 F-15Es and 13 F-15Cs and Ds.
Hercules
It will also phase out 14 C-130H Hercules cargo planes. Finally, 3 EC-130H Compass Call aircraft will be withdrawn from service.
Altogether, the plan reflects a serious push to modernize and reduce legacy systems. Yet, political resistance may shape how far these cuts actually go.
The service’s retirement list also has 14 KC-135 Stratotankers, 11 HH-60G combat rescue helicopters, 35 T-1 Texan trainers, 4 UH-1N helicopters, and a B-1 Lancer.
But the recommended retirement list does not include Block 20 F-22A Raptors. The Air Force has attempted to retire approximately 32 of these planes over the past several years due to concerns that they are not ready for combat. Congress has repeatedly blocked these efforts.
E-7 on ice
An Air Force official told reporters on June 26 that the cost of an E-7 airborne battle management aircraft had gone up from $588 million to $724 million, which helped lead to its cancellation. The official said the department was worried about whether it would be able to survive in a competitive climate.
The Pentagon is instead investigating ways to complete the mission that the Wedgetail would have done with space-based capabilities and more Northrop E-2D Hawkeye planes.
The Air Force has been looking for a replacement for its old E-3 Sentry airborne warning and control (AWACS) aircraft for years and has seen the E-7 as the best choice. This increase in funding would represent a significant change for the military branches involved.
The budget would also include $10.3 billion for the B-21 Raider, a stealth bomber produced by Northrop Grumman that can carry nuclear weapons, and $4.2 billion for the LGM-35A Sentinel intercontinental ballistic missile, which will take the place of the old Minuteman III. Northrop is also making a Sentinel.
The money for buying the B-21 would go up from $1.9 billion in 2025 to $2.6 billion in 2026, and there would be another $2.1 billion for reconciliation. If Congress approves all of the spending, the Raider’s procurement budget will more than double.
F-15EX Eagle II
The budget says that the Air Force should spend $3.1 billion to keep buying the F-15EX Eagle II, which they had planned to stop doing after 2025. The Pentagon plans to buy 21 of the Boeing-made jets next year. These are newer versions of the fourth-generation F-15E. This total is an increase from $18 billion in 2025.
In 2026, the Pentagon plans to buy only 47 F-35 Joint Strike Fighters across the Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps. That would represent a decrease from 74 aircraft in 2025.
The Air Force would buy about half as many F-35As, going from 44 tails in 2025 to 24 next year. The USAF would spend $4.5 billion on the Lockheed Martin-made plane this year, but that would drop to $3.6 billion in 2026.
The Air Force will acquire 45 new fighters in 2026, which is less than the 72 new jets it believes it needs per year to modernize its fleet.
Buying more F-35s
The Pentagon claimed that instead of buying more F-35s, the money will be used to keep the jets in excellent shape and make sure that there is enough of a supply base to cover all the necessary operations and maintenance. The Pentagon also wants to set aside money to make sure that the jets’ Block 4 modifications continue on schedule.
The Air Force’s budget also includes $807 million for its drone wingmen program, named Collaborative Combat Aircraft. The Air Force expects that these funds will accelerate the development of platforms and autonomy.
The service requests a $73.2 billion discretionary budget for operations and maintenance. It also seeks $4.5 billion in mandatory funding for the same purpose.
Moreover, it asks for $44.3 billion in discretionary spending to support personnel. It also calls for a mandatory expenditure of about $200 million for its employees.
The research, development, testing, and evaluation budget totals $46.4 billion. Out of this, $36.2 billion is discretionary, while $10.2 billion is mandatory.
F-47 Fighter
Meanwhile, the F-47 fighter will receive increased research and development funds. In 2025, its budget stood at $2.4 billion.
This sum will increase marginally to $2.6 billion by 2026. However, if a $900 million boost passes reconciliation, funding will reach $3.5 billion. The result would mark a major win for Boeing, the F-47’s manufacturer.
Altogether, the proposal shows a strong focus on future air dominance and support for personnel.
Still, success depends on congressional approval and possible political hurdles.
The service’s total request for a procurement budget would be $36.2 billion, which includes $26.5 billion for discretionary spending and $9.7 billion for reconciliation bill spending.
The Air Force’s acquisition budget would contain $24.8 billion for planes, $6.1 billion for missiles, and $784 million for ammunition, as well as money for reconciliation.
T-7A Red Hawk
In 2026, the Air Force aims to buy 14 Boeing-made T-7A Red Hawk trainer planes for $362 million. But the E-7 airborne battle management aircraft, also produced by Boeing, would not get any fresh cash because the service and top Pentagon authorities differ on whether space-based target monitoring would be better than an airborne platform.
The proposed budget would give Lockheed back $387 million to fund the hypersonic AGM-183A Air-launched Rapid Response Weapon. This expenditure might bring back a program that seemed doomed after a few failed tests over the past few years.
Last weekend, the Air Force used the GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator, or MOP, for the first time, targeting several Iranian nuclear sites. The government will spend a little less on it in 2026. In 2025, the Air Force plans to spend over $8.6 million on the MOP. This amount will go down to $6.8 million in 2026.
