WASHINGTON, Feb. 18, 2008
Air Force: We're At The Breaking Point
Officials Seeks Billions To Upgrade Military's Aging Aircraft
-
The Pentagon plans to spend $62 billion to purchase a total of 183 F-22 Raptor fighters, built jointly by Lockheed Martin and Boeing. (AP)
-
Interactive Military 101 Basic training to learn all about America's fighting force.
"If you want to accept that today we're doing an adequate job with this sort of patchwork of airplanes, when are we no longer able to do an adequate job?" Selva asked. "What's the next thing that's going to happen?"
Each F-22 Raptor costs about $160 million. The Air Force says it needs 381 of the radar-evading planes and is fighting to keep the production line from being shut down too soon.
"We have never rolled off of the requirement to field 381 F-22s," Selva said. "The real issue at play with the F-22 is when the line closes, it's closed. Restarting the line will be unreasonably expensive."
The price for a single F-35 Lightning is $77 million, and the Air Force wants close to 1,800 of these fighters. The F-35 will not be in use for several more years.
Defense Secretary Robert Gates has said only 183 Raptors are needed. The more Raptors the Air Force buys, Gates said during congressional testimony earlier this month, the less money it will have for the F-35 and other aircraft. About 100 F-22s have been fielded. That aircraft has not been used in Iraq and Afghanistan, Gates added.
The Air Force says the Raptors are needed for future threats, with China, Russia and Iran at the top of the list.
"Al Qaeda doesn't exactly have an advanced aerial defense system," said Maj. David Small, an Air Force spokesman.
The public push for more Raptors prompted Gates to rebuke a top Air Force officer, Gen. Bruce Carlson, who said last week that the service remained committed to buying 381 of the aircraft. In a Friday statement, Moseley and Air Force Secretary Michael Wynne said the general's remarks did not reflect the Air Force's position. But the statement did not say the service is backing away from its goal of 381 Raptors.
Aircraft on the front lines in the terror war are also facing challenges.
Officials at Air Force Special Operations Command say it will become increasingly hard to keep two key aircraft flying: The MC-130H Combat Talon II, used to drop commandos into hostile territory and then retrieve them, and the AC-130U, a hulking gunship that flies low to deliver firepower, are both in need of substantial overhauls.
"We are literally flying the wings off these two airplanes," said Brig. Gen. Brad Heithold, director of the command's plans, programs, requirements and assessments office at Hurlburt Field, Fla.
There are only 20 Combat Talons and 17 AC-130Us. This small fleet is in heavy demand by special operations forces around the globe. In 2001, the AC-130Us flew just over 5,200 hours. The gunships logged more than 9,000 hours in 2007. It is comparable, Heithold said, to putting 70,000 miles on a car in a single year instead of a more normal 12,000 miles.
At any given time, several of the Combat Talons or AC-130Us could be in the depot being fixed. That means there are fewer available to fly critical missions. Training flights are also curtailed.
Heithold called the situation a "manageable crisis," but said serious problems could emerge if more money isn't provided for extended improvements and new aircraft over the next few years.
"Any time you have a small number of airplanes that the appetite for continually increases, it's hard to meet the demand," Heithold said. "If we don't wrestle with this now, it's a looming problem out there."
By Richard Lardner
© MMVIII The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
More From U.S.
Best-selling author Mitch Albom on his first nonfiction work since "Tuesdays with Morrie."
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
... - 21
- next
See all 404 CommentsPersonally I believe Teddy meant "don''t be rattling your sabers at everyone but be prepared to back up your words with a strong military".
Prime example of gov''t spending while the AF is crying po'' mouth!! Hey darkmeat did you read this?
We''''ll see how this works out.
This is my last post(tired),,enjoyed talking with you. Have good night! I will stay to look at your answer,,but may not respond. ,,I''''m beat!
I''''ll catch you another day! Be good! Be well!
They have always taken out the messengers of hope. But that does not mean that we should abandon the message. Hope is what keeps you and I going. Without that we are nothing. There is no point is going on. If we have given up hope, then we have lost. I refuse to give up.
Have a good night. I look forward to seeing you on the board again soon.
Be well and take care.
dscott407
Posted by dscott407
He does offer hope,,,but I still think we are not ready for a "Obama" to be president. We had another president that offered hope,,,and they killed him.
We''ll see how this works out.
This is my last post(tired),,enjoyed talking with you. Have good night! I will stay to look at your answer,,but may not respond. ,,I''m beat!
I''ll catch you another day! Be good! Be well!
And the new crop doesn''''t offer (wisdom) any hope either.
Posted by slim1h2o
You are right again slim. But Obama is boasting a "message of hope." That seems to be one of the cornerstones of his whole campaign. The rest are just giving us politics as usual. It''s going to be interesting to say the least.
We may just have to wait and see.
But you are also correct. There is a total lack of wisdom in Washington. I don''t think any of them see beyond their own lust for power and wealth. Again that''s just me.
Posted by dscott407 at 10:03 PM : Feb 19, 2008
AAHH,,,,Wisdom!,,,,thats in a very low quantity in Washington nowadays.
And the new crop doesn''t offer (wisdom) any hope either.
Posted by dscott407 at 09:51 PM : Feb 19, 2008
Well,,yes,,But what I think Teddy meant,,was to stay out of other countries business,,,but be well protected! In other words,,a strong military!
Posted by slim1h2o
I think that you are right on the money. That''s exactly what I think he meant. It''s too bad our so called leaders of today don''t have the wisdom that our leaders of yesterday had. They knew better. And the had the wisdom to know the difference.
Posted by dscott407 at 09:51 PM : Feb 19, 2008
Well,,yes,,But what I think Teddy meant,,was to stay out of other countries business,,,but be well protected! In other words,,a strong military!
Hahaha, I probably scared him away!
Ya know there is something about the name "AJMarine" that I really like, it really TURNS ME ON!
Okay, I''ll stop now. I don''t want to scare him too badly.:)
Posted by slim1h2o
I agree slim, but when you swing that stick, we should be prepared for the damage it can do. I think that we may be dealing with the consequences of swinging that stick. There are always repercussions. Good or bad.
Posted by dscott407 at 09:40 PM : Feb 19, 2008
It is better to give,, then to recieve.
Except,,in the matters of love.
+
Posted by dscott407 at 09:25 PM : Feb 19, 2008
That won''t work! Like Teddy said,,Walk softly,,and carry a big stick! Now that works! For me anyways.
Posted by erasmus6 at 09:23 PM : Feb 19, 2008
Love lost,,and forlorn,,,, He''s walking down that dimly lit sidewalk,,,whistling that Billy Joel song,,flipping that quarter.
That would have been nice but he went away and left me!
posted by erasmus6.
Well that''s a shame. He sounded like he was really in to you.
Just *** around. Please don''t take it personally.
Posted by dscott407 at 09:14 PM : Feb 19, 2008
I guess,,,, If we need them,,,we need them! Of course our grandkids will be paying for them though!
You are right, but with that amount of $$$ it sounds more like a global take over than it does national defense. But that''s just me.
Posted by slim1h2o
That would have been nice but he went away and left me!
Posted by dscott407 at 09:14 PM : Feb 19, 2008
I guess,,,, If we need them,,,we need them! Of course our grandkids will be paying for them though!
If you are missing being insulted, I am pretty good at it.:)
Posted by erasmus6
No I don''t miss it, I''m just surprised that I/we haven''t been.
BTW are you supposed to be getting busy with AJMarine??
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
... - 21
- next
See all 404 Comments