F-15Cs retired as part of the "CAF Redux" bake in the Arizona sun in 2012, with Spraylat coverings over their canopies, engine inlets and other openings against their potential return to service. The Air Force now wants to expedite the retirement of the remaining F-15C/D fleet by the end of fiscal 2026. Staff photo by John A. Tirpak
Air Force Magazine: Air Force Wants to Cut 421 Old Fighters, Buy 304 New Ones
The Air Force will ask Congress to retire 421 legacy aircraft through 2026, replacing them with just 304 new fighters, according to fiscal 2022 budget talking points obtained by Air Force Magazine. The savings derived from operating a smaller fleet will be put toward acquiring new systems such as the Next-Generation Air Dominance fighter later this decade, and a new Multi-Role fighter, called MR-X, in the 2030s.
The 421 aircraft include a total phase-out of the aged F-15C/D fleet, numbering about 234 aircraft, by the end of fiscal 2026. The F-16 fleet would be reduced by 124 aircraft, mostly from what are called the “pre-block,” or oldest models, leaving a force of 812, also by the end of 2026. The A-10 attack plane would be reduced from 281 total aircraft to 218, for a reduction of 63 tails, but on a more aggressive timeline ending in fiscal 2023.
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WNU Editor: That is a lot of planes being "retired".
2 comments:
As long as they don't destory these legacy fighters, if a war broke out, these legacy fighers could come in very handy. Bringing them up to a usable standard is going to be easier then making new ones, more so if productions under bombardment.
Correct@605
So they'll do the opposite. ^_^
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