The House’s proposed 2017 defense-spending bill also includes a provision that would prohibit the Air Force from retiring or warehousing the A-10 Thunderbolt II (“Warthog”) close-air support aircraft. The Air Force would be required to maintain at least 171 A-10s, with appropriate manning levels, until a report to Congress could prove that the F-35C variant of the Lightning II fighter has proven itself in tests as a worthy replacement.