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thehill.com/...ters-gao-finds-2009-02-03.html - Cached - Annotated View

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TransTracker
Transtracker bookmarked on 2009-02-06 air_force airpower procurement

  • The Air Force may face severe aircraft and personnel shortfalls in the near future that could present significant challenges to its ability to protect domestic airspace, a government watchdog agency has found.

    The little-publicized findings by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) will likely stir a tug-of-war between the Air Force and a number of factions in Congress over whether the Air Force should buy cutting-edge — but expensive — fighter jets, such as the F-22 Raptor and the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, or continue buying and modernizing older aircraft, such as F-15s or F-16s.

    • TransTracker
      Transtracker on 2009-02-06
      It's amazing to me that these ridiculous arguments persist even in the face of such dire circumstances. We are literally on the verge of not having a viable Air Force, and part of the reason is that the paralysis that comes with these kinds of never-ending, ridiculous arguments keeps us from buying the necesary replacement aircraft. It is only "cheaper" to buy the older aircraft if money had never been spent for a replacement. But that's not reality. The reality is that if you don't buy the replacement, you really have wasted all the money you spent on its development, because you didn't get anything for that money. You also have to spend more development money on a new replacement. That is, if not the F-22 or F-35, then what? F-15s and F-16s won't last forever. They will be replaced. But by what? By the thing we've already paid to develop? Or some other thing that we have yet to pay, but inevitably will pay, to develop?

  • The Air Force may face severe aircraft and personnel shortfalls in the near future that could present significant challenges to its ability to protect domestic airspace, a government watchdog agency has found.

    The little-publicized findings by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) will likely stir a tug-of-war between the Air Force and a number of factions in Congress over whether the Air Force should buy cutting-edge — but expensive — fighter jets, such as the F-22 Raptor and the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, or continue buying and modernizing older aircraft, such as F-15s or F-16s.

  • The Guard conducts the majority of domestic airspace protection missions, known as air sovereignty alert operations and homeland defense air missions. Fully armed fighter aircraft are on alert 24 hours a day at 18 sites across the country. The Air National Guard operates 16 of the 18 sites. The remaining two are under active-duty Air Force responsibilities.

    The aircraft used in the domestic airspace protection missions — Lockheed’s F-16 and Boeing’s F-15 — are showing signs of aging. The aircraft used by the National Guard traditionally come used from the active-duty Air Force, which means that the equipment already has significant wear and tear.

  • The planes flown by the Air National Guard are the oldest aircraft ever flown in Air Force history. Eleven of the 18 sites could end up without viable aircraft by 2020 if the planes are not replaced over the next few years, according to the GAO. The oldest planes are also more difficult and expensive to maintain.

    Meanwhile, 14 of the 18 sites will have to suspend their operations for a period of time between 2010 and 2020, as their aircraft reach the end of their useful service lives. Twelve sites are currently equipped with F-16 fighters, which will reach the end of their service lives between 2015 and 2020.

This link has been bookmarked by 1 people . It was first bookmarked on 06 Feb 2009, by TransTracker.

  • 06 Feb 09
    TransTracker
    TransTracker

    air_force airpower procurement

    • The Air Force may face severe aircraft and personnel shortfalls in the near future that could present significant challenges to its ability to protect domestic airspace, a government watchdog agency has found.

      The little-publicized findings by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) will likely stir a tug-of-war between the Air Force and a number of factions in Congress over whether the Air Force should buy cutting-edge — but expensive — fighter jets, such as the F-22 Raptor and the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, or continue buying and modernizing older aircraft, such as F-15s or F-16s.

      • TransTracker

        TransTracker on 2009-02-06

        It's amazing to me that these ridiculous arguments persist even in the face of such dire circumstances. We are literally on the verge of not having a viable Air Force, and part of the reason is that the paralysis that comes with these kinds of never-ending, ridiculous arguments keeps us from buying the necesary replacement aircraft. It is only "cheaper" to buy the older aircraft if money had never been spent for a replacement. But that's not reality. The reality is that if you don't buy the replacement, you really have wasted all the money you spent on its development, because you didn't get anything for that money. You also have to spend more development money on a new replacement. That is, if not the F-22 or F-35, then what? F-15s and F-16s won't last forever. They will be replaced. But by what? By the thing we've already paid to develop? Or some other thing that we have yet to pay, but inevitably will pay, to develop?

    • The Air Force may face severe aircraft and personnel shortfalls in the near future that could present significant challenges to its ability to protect domestic airspace, a government watchdog agency has found.

      The little-publicized findings by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) will likely stir a tug-of-war between the Air Force and a number of factions in Congress over whether the Air Force should buy cutting-edge — but expensive — fighter jets, such as the F-22 Raptor and the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, or continue buying and modernizing older aircraft, such as F-15s or F-16s.

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