WASHINGTON — The 188th Fighter Wing in Fort Smith could retain its A-10 mission, at least temporarily, under legislation being debated Wednesday by the House Armed Services Committee.
The panel was expected to remain working well past midnight on a defense authorization bill that serves as a blue print for how the Pentagon can spend up to $554 billion in the fiscal year that begins Oct 1.
Among the amendments expected late Wednesday night is one that would essentially block the Air Force from moving forward with proposed changes to Air Guard and Reserve units until Congress receives complete cost-benefits analyses.
If approved, the Air Force would likely be unable to move forward with mission changes for the coming year.
The 2013 Air Force budget, which was announced in February, included a $770 million reduction to the Air Guard and elimination of about 5,100 Guard personnel. The proposal would replace the A-10 jets at Fort Smith with a drone aircraft mission. It also would end a C-130 aviation modernization program at Little Rock Air Force Base.
Rep. Tim Griffin, R-Little Rock, who serves on the committee, said he planned on speaking in favor of the amendment when it comes up.
The underlying bill already contains a provision to require the Air Force to conduct a full cost-benefit analysis of modernizing its C-130 fleet with AMP as compared to modernization through the proposed reduced-scope program. It would preserve the C-130 AMP for at least this year while that work is done, Griffin said.