The U.S. Congress did not authorize the Pentagon to retire 33 of the oldest fifth-generation F-22 Raptor fighters

We recently wrote that the U.S. Department of Defense could get rid of 21 A-10 Thunderbolt II attack aircraft. The Pentagon also wanted to decommission old F-22 Raptor fighters, but was rejected.

Here's What We Know

The U.S. Air Force had prepared an ambitious plan to retire the planes in 2023. However, Congress rejected the request to mothball the oldest F-22 Raptor fighters. We are talking about 33 planes upgraded to Block 20 level.

Congress has come out strongly in defense of the fleet of fifth-generation fighters. Lawmakers not only rejected the request to decommission the planes, but also prohibited any reduction in funding for the F-22 program until at least fiscal year 2026. Arguments that the planes are not combat-ready and that their costs would rise to $1.8 billion over eight years seemed insufficient to Congress.

The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for fiscal year 2023 does not include upgrades to the Block 20 fighters. Even so, Congress wants a plan to upgrade the F-22 Raptor to Block 30/35 and a report on possible spending.

Source: Breaking Defense