Although the Air Force fully funded the A-10 and the KC-135 in its Fiscal 2017 budget request, Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Welsh said the service doesn’t have enough airmen to continue operating the fleets and stand up a new squadron of F-35s. “With additional manpower and funding to cover the activity, we could certainly do that and I’d be a very happy air chief if we got that increase, but today we do not have the manpower to do both,” said Welsh during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on Thursday. The comments elicited a heated exchange between Welsh and SASC Chairman Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.). “The only problem, general, with your statement about the A-10 is you have no replacement for it. And, it’s in combat and in operation in Iraq and Syria as we speak … As to the F-35s that will replace it, in fact, you have reduced the number of F-35s that [USAF] is requesting and … it doesn’t match up, general,” said McCain. Welsh reiterated that the Air Force can conduct the same close air support missions with F-16s and F-15Es, which are currently operating against ISIS, but McCain claimed the A-10 is conducting the lion share of sorties against the terrorist organization and he repeatedly cut Welsh off as he tried to explain the breakdown by aircraft variant. “But you’re using the A-10 because it’s the most effective weapons system. This is really, unfortunately, disingenuous. You have the options of using the F-15 and the F-16 right now., but you’re not. You’re using the A-10,” said McCain. “Senator, those aren’t the facts on …,” Welsh said, getting cut off again. “Yes, they are the facts, general,” insisted McCain. (See also: Lakenheath F-15s Hit ISIS in Libya; BONES Leave the AOR; USAF Begins ISIS Strikes from Turkey.)
The Air National Guardsman who was arrested last year for sharing hundreds of top secret and classified documents to online chatrooms was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison on Nov. 12 after pleading guilty to several charges this March.