USAF Eyes Slashing Fighter Inventory

F-15 Eagle & F-16 Fighting Falcon

F-15 Eagle and F-16 Fighting Falcon fighter jets have been the backbone of US Air Force combat power for more than two decades. Give these warbirds the place of honor they deserve on your wall. Find the F-15 / F-16 “Aggressors” poster, framed art print, or 12-month 2009 calendar at The PatriArt Gallery. (Make great Christmas gifts for the Air Force veteran or military aviation fan on your list, too!)

The U.S. Air Force is seeking to retire early more than 300 fighter aircraft next year to save $3.4 billion in the hope of funding advanced fighters and other modernization efforts, a published report said on Wednesday, citing internal Pentagon documents.

The plan would retire 137 F-15 and 177 F-16 fighters plus nine A-10 close air support attack aircraft as much as 11 years before the end of their scheduled useful lives, InsideDefense.com, an online news service, reported.

 

“Without accelerating these retirements, we are left with a larger, less-capable force unable to penetrate anti-access environments,” the Air Force was quoted as telling John Young, the Pentagon’s top arms buyer.

Read the complete report at Reuters

Tags: Air Force, Aircraft, Eagle, F-15, F-15 Eagle, F-15 Strike Eagle, F-16, F-16 Falcon, F-16 Fighting Falcon, Falcon, Fighting Falcon, Inventory, Retirement, Strike Eagle, USAF