It is named after a sound. The BRRRRT Act — yes, really — is Congress’s latest attempt to keep the A-10 Thunderbolt II flying, and it wants more of the jets in the air than the Air Force is willing to keep.
Rep. Abe Hamadeh (R-Ariz.) is the sponsor. The bill’s full name is the Bolstering Recognition, Resurgence, Retention, and Remembrance of the Thunderbolt Act — a nod to the bone-rattling growl the jet’s 30 mm Gatling gun makes when it fires.
Informations clés
- Bill: BRRRRT Act (H.R. 9780)
- Sponsor: Rep. Abe Hamadeh (R-Ariz.)
- Aim: Halt A-10 retirement until a certified replacement is fielded
- Fleet floor sought: 126 operational A-10s, up from the current 103
- Aéronef: Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II, in service since the 1970s
What the bill would do
The BRRRRT Act would require the Air Force to keep at least 126 fully operational Warthogs on strength — a jump from the 103-aircraft floor written into the Fiscal Year 2026 National Defense Authorization Act. It would also bar the service from retiring the type until a certified replacement is actually flying.
The Air Force has fought for years to send the A-10 to the boneyard, arguing that a slow, low-flying gun platform cannot survive against modern air defenses and that its budget is better spent on F-35s and drones. It entered Fiscal Year 2026 with 162 A-10s and asked to retire the entire fleet by year’s end. Congress said no.
Why the Warthog keeps surviving
The A-10’s recent combat work, including operations tied to the campaign against Iran, handed its defenders fresh ammunition. For troops on the ground, the argument has always been visceral rather than budgetary.
Whether the BRRRRT Act becomes law is another matter — plenty of A-10 rescue efforts have stalled before. But the pattern is now familiar: the Air Force tries to kill the Warthog, and Congress keeps handing it another lifeline.
Sources: The Aviationist; Military Times; Office of Rep. Abe Hamadeh; Common Defense.
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