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Death Spiral - USAF Acquisition Strategy
The Merge - Blog ^ | 4/13/2024 | The Merge

Posted on 04/14/2024 8:07:08 AM PDT by Portcall24

The US Air Force may be the largest in the world, but to borrow a line from Toby Keith (R.I.P), it just ain’t as good as it once was.

(Excerpt) Read more at themerge.co ...


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KEYWORDS: militaryfuture; usafacquisition
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This year, the flying branch plans to divest 250 aircraft, leaving it with less than 5,000 aircraft—the lowest in its history since it split from the Army after World War II. For reference, the service had ~9,000 aircraft when Desert Storm was fought and ~6,200 aircraft when 9/11 happened.
1 posted on 04/14/2024 8:07:08 AM PDT by Portcall24
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To: Portcall24

But it’s bringing a B1 Lancer out of mothballs for refurbishment. So +1.


2 posted on 04/14/2024 8:14:15 AM PDT by ProtectOurFreedom (“When exposing a crime is treated like a crime, you are being ruled by criminals” – Edward SnowdenA)
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To: Portcall24
This is manpower shortage, as well as the problem of the country being $34 trillion in debt.
3 posted on 04/14/2024 8:15:54 AM PDT by T.B. Yoits
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To: Portcall24
The US Air Force may be the largest in the world, but to borrow a line from Toby Keith (R.I.P), it just ain’t as good as it once was.

But Hey, it's the most WOKE!

4 posted on 04/14/2024 8:19:18 AM PDT by The Sons of Liberty (Joe couldn't spell cat if you spotted him the 'C' and the 'A'.)
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To: T.B. Yoits

.


5 posted on 04/14/2024 8:27:40 AM PDT by sauropod (Ne supra crepidam)
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To: Portcall24
The bean counters always think that we have such a technological edge that less is sufficient. ,

That edge has dissipated if not totally disappeared but the delusion continues. There are just not enough assets to cover all of the mission requirements in a high intensity war.

Lose a squadron of F-22s or B-1s over time in a hot war, and you have effectively lost any qualitative advantage.

6 posted on 04/14/2024 8:28:18 AM PDT by pfflier
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To: Portcall24

“This year, the flying branch plans to divest 250 aircraft”

Glad we don’t have any hot spots with major military powers lurking in our future...


7 posted on 04/14/2024 8:32:27 AM PDT by BobL (A society built on MERIT cannot survive on DEI (ref. South Africa, and now USA))
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To: Portcall24

Probably only 300 pilots is the problem.


8 posted on 04/14/2024 8:33:28 AM PDT by Bonemaker (invictus maneo)
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To: Portcall24

But how many planes do they identify as having?


9 posted on 04/14/2024 8:48:35 AM PDT by Colorado Doug (Now I know how the Indians felt to be sold out for a few beads and trinkets)
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To: Portcall24
This year, the flying branch plans to divest 250 aircraft, leaving it with less than 5,000 aircraft—the lowest in its history since it split from the Army after World War II. For reference, the service had ~9,000 aircraft when Desert Storm was fought and ~6,200 aircraft when 9/11 happened. p span[style*="font-size"] { line-height: 1.6; }

This follows other cuts: they tried to divest 310 aircraft in 2023 and 250 aircraft in 2022.

p span[style*="font-size"] { line-height: 1.6; }

And it ain’t over yet.

p span[style*="font-size"] { line-height: 1.6; }

This is part of a bigger plan to divest 1,469 aircraft from 2023 to 2027. For perspective, that’s equal to the entire air forces of the UK, Australia, and Japan—combined. That wouldn’t be so bad if they were being replaced…but the Air Force is only buying ~400 aircraft over the same timeframe, which is a 1,000-aircraft net negative for those who don’t do math.


10 posted on 04/14/2024 9:40:18 AM PDT by daniel1212 (Turn 2 the Lord Jesus who saves damned+destitute sinners on His acct, believe, b baptized+follow HIM)
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To: Portcall24

When looking at individual aircraft choices (e.g., the decrepit F-15C fleet), these are (mostly) very reasonable, palatable, and defensible decisions.

The F-15C has never been shot down in combat. Unprecedented in the history of combat aircraft. But ok, “decrepit”.


11 posted on 04/14/2024 10:09:20 AM PDT by DesertRhino (2016 Star Wars, 2020 The Empire Strikes Back, 2024... RETURN OF THE JEDI. )
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To: Portcall24

Using Biblical reference as to what is happening in the US.
1) the corrupted, Godless leader is always exposed, as we are seeing.
2) The corrupted , immoral leadership takes “ Pride” in spreading their anti- God and filthy mindset.
3) The corrupted nation’s military deteriorates into a weakened state.
4) The corrupted nation’s wealth is taken away.

We are witnessing all four, and many more.

Of course, those not schooled in Biblical history and doctrine will never see it…..
But Christians do.


12 posted on 04/14/2024 10:47:28 AM PDT by delta7
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To: delta7

I will add, the ungodly will never see it, for “ it is not given for them to see”.


13 posted on 04/14/2024 10:48:59 AM PDT by delta7
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To: pfflier

Not to mention how many times a squadron has been destroyed on the ground. Puerto Rican terrorists destroyed a squadron of A-7s on the ground. The Taliban destroyed several Harriers in a raid.

Low tech attacks on bases are a thing.


14 posted on 04/14/2024 11:11:11 AM PDT by DesertRhino (2016 Star Wars, 2020 The Empire Strikes Back, 2024... RETURN OF THE JEDI. )
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To: Portcall24

I would take, on a neutral theoretical battlefield, 1991’s army against today’s.


15 posted on 04/14/2024 12:01:33 PM PDT by Captainpaintball (America needs a Conservative DICTATOR if it hopes to survive. )
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To: Portcall24

<>6,200 aircraft when 9/11 happened<>

Happened?

Uh, when the sons of Satan, muslims, killed thousands of American civilians.


16 posted on 04/14/2024 1:03:34 PM PDT by Jacquerie (ArticleVBlog.com)
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To: DesertRhino

Stealth is the only technology that provides any safety in a modern air combat environment. The F-15 is a wonderful aircraft, but it doesn’t have any stealth capability. That’s why the F-22 and F-35 are far superior to any Gen 4 fighter, including the Mig 29 and SU-27.

Only the US, Russia, and China have Gen 5 fighters. Everything else is just a target now.


17 posted on 04/14/2024 1:06:06 PM PDT by Bob Wills is still the king (Just a Texas Playboy at heart)
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To: Bob Wills is still the king

The 35 Moonpig has some frontal stealth, but it’s far from a stealth. From 3/4th of aspects, it’s not stealth. Hang missiles or tanks on it, it’s not stealth. if it gets caught in daylight, it cannot prevail against an F-16, a MiG-29 etc. It cannot outrun, out accelerate, out turn any Gen 4.

22 is pretty dang good, but we only have 186 of them IF they are all operational that day. Most of the tooling to build new ones was destroyed. We have about 120 in an operational capacity.

Stealth is a losing game except in the opening days. Gen 4 and 4.5 is still very relevant. It is doomed to fail in the battle of airframe vs sensors.


18 posted on 04/14/2024 3:37:43 PM PDT by DesertRhino (2016 Star Wars, 2020 The Empire Strikes Back, 2024... RETURN OF THE JEDI. )
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To: Bob Wills is still the king

And the Su-57 and J-20 with those stealthy canards are not in the same class. There are 22 Su-57s in service and a handful of 20s.
Our 15s are far from useless.


19 posted on 04/14/2024 3:43:00 PM PDT by DesertRhino (2016 Star Wars, 2020 The Empire Strikes Back, 2024... RETURN OF THE JEDI. )
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To: Portcall24
Well really if we're at war with China and Iran at the same time - and they've crossed over a million soldiers into our country at the Rio Grande - does it matter if our Air Force has less than 5,000 planes?

Does it matter if they have any planes at all?

The stupid people running the military can still have funding to teach pronouns and sensitivity and "hate yourself if you're white"... And isn't that all that matters?

20 posted on 04/14/2024 3:52:31 PM PDT by GOPJ (Two items Biden finds at 'Ice Cream Shoppes'? A: Ice cream cones and 6 year old girls to look at...)
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