Posted on 02/15/2010 8:45:15 PM PST by ErnstStavroBlofeld
After the QDR, USAF will have fewer fighters, fewer options, and therefore tougher choices. The Air Force is poised to launch a dramatic restructuring of its fighter fleet. Anticipating years of flat budgets and a changing military strategy, the service will shrink its fighter force as much as 20 percent. There will be fewer squadrons and they will have fewer people.
There will be newer machines—and the average age of the fighter fleet may stabilize after steadily graying for 20 years—but a portion of the inventory will be geared toward less demanding wars.
The service has developed a matrix of options for the future of the fighter fleet. The set it chooses to implement will depend on the answers to three questions, all of which should be forthcoming this spring:
•What military strategy will the Air Force be asked to execute, based on the results of the latest Quadrennial Defense Review? • At what rate will the Air Force be allowed to buy the new F-35 fighter? • Will Congress grant USAF’s request to retire some 250 of its inventory of fourth generation “legacy” fighters?
A fourth perennial but critical question—how many F-22s will the Air Force be allowed to buy?—was put to rest last year, when Congress and the Air Force leadership capitulated to the decision by President Obama and Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates to terminate production at 187 aircraft.
Gen. William M. Fraser III, head of Air Combat Command, affirmed that the fighter force faces what could prove to be significant turbulence, declaring, “All options are on the table.”
Speaking in late December, Fraser explained that the QDR will answer some major questions: How many wars, of what size, and at what intensity the Air Force must be able to fight in the future.
(Excerpt) Read more at airforce-magazine.com ...
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This is a very disturbing article. This must be how the British felt after WWII...
F22 will be last or second-last great manned plane. Supersonic 6th gen fighters will be remote piloted during critical phases of the mission.
Why don’t we fill up on a bunch of those F-5’s. At some point you just need a delivery platform, not an air superiority fighter.
parsy, the curious
We always see this crap when a rat bastard is in charge.The chicoms and ivan cant wait.
And at some times you do. Even delivery platforms must be capable of some degree of self defense, especially against ground based threats. Thus they need to be rugged, like the A-10, capable of avoiding the threats, like say the F-15E with it's terrain following system (which MOI helped design), or otherwise avoid detection by the ground threats.
Not all of our future enemies will come to battle in pick-up trucks and on the backs of camels.
You are right, they will come in expensive suites and sit in public office. There isn't a military machine that can go toe to toe with American might, but they won't need to. They will just sit, watch and wait as the corruption and societal perversions erode the foundations of this great nation.
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