Sun, Jun 10, 2012
Assessment Came As Senior Air Force Officers Meet At Wright-Patterson
Defense analyst Loren B. Thompson spoke recently to senior Air Force officers at Wright-Patterson AFB, saying the USAF faces a crisis from the aging aircraft in its inventory. He added The Air Force is “facing challenges because it has not succeeded in modernizing its fleet to anywhere near the degree it needs to, so the fleet is getting old.” Thompson is a defense analyst with the Lexington Institute in Arlington, VA.
The Springfield News-Sun reports that Thompson used the examples of the B-2 and F-22 aircraft. Both were acquired in much smaller quantities than originally planned. The USAF had planned to buy 132 B-2s but ended up with 21, while the F-22 fleet was pared down to 187 from 750.
“What has happened to the Air Force is a gradual aging process made worse by its inability to successfully carry out major weapons programs. It has become a crisis because the force has grown so old” Thompson said. His address came in front of 100 senior Air Force officers met at Wright-Patterson to discuss issues facing the service.
Air Force Materiel Command spokeswomen Sue Murphy said the average age of a USAF aircraft is 25 years old. The Air Force faces budget cuts early next year along with the other branches of the military that are expected to mean fewer personnel and aircraft. Defense contractors are concerned that the budget fallout may impact their businesses also. AFMC spokesman Ron Fry said “Despite the challenges we face, today’s Air Force is, by any objective standard, the world’s best. It is our intent, and our obligation, to the American people to remain the world’s finest Air Force in the decades ahead.”
More News
Maximum Authorized Altitude A published altitude representing the maximum usable altitude or flight level for an airspace structure or route segment. It is the highest altitude on >[...]
Aero Linx: Soaring Safety Foundation (SSF) The Soaring Safety Foundation (SSF) is the Training and Safety arm of the Soaring Society of America (SSA). Our mission is to provide ins>[...]
From 2013 (YouTube Version): Dracula Lives On Through Kyle Franklin... and We're NOT Scared! ANN CEO and Editor-in-Chief, Jim Campbell speaks with Aerobatic and airshow master, Kyl>[...]
“For Montaer Aircraft it is a very prudent move to incorporate such reliable institution as Ocala Aviation, with the background of decades in training experience and aviation>[...]
Also: ForeFlight Upgrades, Cicare USA, Vittorazi Engines, EarthX We have a number of late-breaking news highlights from the 2024 Innovation Preview... which was PACKED with real ne>[...]