Former Air Force chiefs sound alarm about planned F-35, E-7 cuts
By Stephen Losey
Jul 8, 2025, 01:17 PM
Nearly 20 retired Air Force general officers urged Congress to reverse the Pentagon's plans to slash the Air Force's purchase of F-35A fighters, and cancel the E-7 Wedgetail program. (Staff Sgt. Zachary Rufus/Air Force)
On Monday, more than a dozen retired top Air Force generals — including six former chiefs of staff — released a letter urging Congress to reverse Pentagon plans to kill the E-7 Wedgetail program and slash F-35 procurement.
“On behalf of the Air and Space Forces Association’s 125,773 members, we write to express our alarm at recent proposals to reduce the next fiscal year’s procurement of F-35As to only 24 aircraft and terminate the E-7 Wedgetail program,” the 16 retired general officers said in the letter to the top Republican and Democratic leaders in the House and Senate, which was posted on AFA’s website. “During a period of heightened tension throughout the world, we believe such reductions will severely and unnecessarily undermine our service members’ ability to deter, and if necessary, prevail in future conflicts.”
Former Air Force chiefs of staff Gens. Merrill McPeak, Ron Fogleman, Michael Ryan, John Jumper, Michael Moseley and Mark Welsh were among those who signed the letter. Aside from retired Gen. Norton Schwartz, who did not sign the letter, these signatures represent more than a quarter-century of Air Force chiefs, who led the service from late 1990 to summer 2016.
https://www.defensenews.com/air/2025/07/08/former-air-force-chiefs-sound-alarm-about-planned-f-35-e-7-cuts/
