Air Force Proposal Aims To Eliminate 250 Fighter Jets

F-15E Strike Eagle (Photo from Defense Talk)

From Stars And Stripes:

Spangdahlem Air Base in Germany would lose 18 F-16s — and possibly one of its three fighter squadrons — in a plan the Air Force announced Tuesday to eliminate about 250 fighter jets from its inventory.

The move, tied to the service’s desire to free up more money for next-generation aircraft and unmanned aerial vehicle operations, would save $355 million in fiscal 2010 and $3.5 billion over the next five years, according to an Air Force news release.

"We have a strategic window of opportunity to do some important things with fighter aircraft restructuring," Secretary of the Air Force Michael B. Donley was quoted as stating in the release. "By accepting some short-term risk, we can convert our inventory of legacy fighters and F-22s into a smaller, more flexible and lethal bridge to fifth-generation fighters like the F-35."

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My Comment: The budget makes everything very clear .... the trend is towards unmanned drones and the next generation fighters.