B-1B, F-16s could be next if Congress blocks Air Force plan to retire A-10

The Air Force could be forced to make heavy cuts to its fighters and bombers if Congress rejects plans to retire the A-10 without providing additional funding.
The administration’s plan to cut the entire A-10 fleet.
The Air Force could save the same amount by eliminating the entire B-1B Lancer fleet or about 350 F-16s.
While the B-1 and F-16 cuts are not part of the fiscal 2015 budget plan, each is considered the “cost equivalent” to retiring the A-10 and could be an option if the Air Force can’t execute its budget.
The Air Force flies 66 operational B-1Bs, and Congress has previously blocked the service from eliminating several of the jets from its fleet. Retiring 350 F-16s would remove nearly one-third of the fleet of 1,018 aircraft. The current budget proposal already seeks to end the F-16’s combat aviation programmed extension suite.
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