Although the BRAC commission acquiesced to the Pentagon recommendation to strip the Pennsylvania Air National Guard’s 111th Fighter Wing at NAS Willow Grove of its A-10s, it included a caveat in its final report that the Pentagon should consider keeping some of the Warthogs at the facility. The commission does believe DOD should close the base, turning it over for civilian use, but it “encourages” the Pentagon “to consider identifying A-10 aircraft to form an A-10 wing or detachment … at Willow Grove, PA.”
The Air Force wants to pump more than $12 billion over the next five years into its new affordable long-range missiles program and recently asked industry to push the flights of some of those munitions beyond 1,200 miles.