Tuesday, March 11, 2014

America's AWACS Reconnaissance Fleet To Be Cut By 25 Percent



Obama To Cut Key Reconnaissance Fleet By 25 Percent -- Washington Free Beacon

Planes being used to monitor Ukraine crisis

A key fleet of U.S. reconnaissance planes used to detect enemy aircraft in hostile settings will to be cut by 25 percent under President Obama’s fiscal year 2015 budget, according to multiple sources familiar with the budget proposal.

A fleet of 31 AWACs, or Airborne Warning and Control System planes, will be reduced to 24 by 2015 under Obama’s budget proposal.

The situation has prompted concern in defense circles and elsewhere, where sources have pointed out that AWACS are currently deployed in Poland and Romania in order to help monitor the standoff in Ukraine.

AWACS are a highly advanced type of reconnaissance craft able to monitor enemy movements in the sky and ground from great distances. Each AWAC unit costs $270 million, according to the Air Force.

Read more ....

My Comment: If the next phase of sequestration kicks in .... expect even more cuts in the future.

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