Officials say current plans create fighter gap

Posted on: Apr. 16th, 2008 || Source: airforcetimes.com | E-mail Article | Print Article

The Air Force will begin facing a shortage of fighter aircraft by 2017, and the shortage will balloon to 800 aircraft by 2024, senior Air Force officials said April 9.

That so-called “fighter gap” could force the Air Force to keep aging F-15s and F-16s flying beyond their anticipated retirement dates by sinking billions into additional service-life extension programs and upgrades.

Senior Air Force leaders have long complained that acquisition plans for fifth-generation fighters — the F-22 Raptor and F-35 Lightning II, or Joint Strike Fighter — are insufficient to replace aging legacy aircraft, but this is the first time they have publicly disclosed the extent of the projected shortfall.

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