For fighters, a moment of truth

Posted on: Dec. 2nd, 2005 || Source: aimpoints.hq.af.mil | E-mail Article | Print Article

For fighters, a moment of truth

The Air Force must soon answer basic questions about the future size and composition of its fighter force. Defense leaders have long postponed decisions about whether the bulk of USAF’s fighters should be replaced or, alternatively, rehabilitated. They can’t delay much longer, however. Unless USAF takes decisive action—and soon—the capability of its fleet will suffer, and the Air Force may not be able to discharge its commitments.

The Air Force wants 381 F/A-22 Raptors as its high-end fighter element and about 1,700 F-35 Joint Strike Fighters as its backbone force. At this point, however, Pentagon officials have declined to approve more than 179 Raptors, meaning that F/A-22 production would come to an end in 2008. Meanwhile, production of the F-35 would not start until 2011, so there would be a three-year gap in fighter-building.

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