Air Force May Divest 1,468 Aircraft over Five Years

[rebewranger]

Air Force May Divest 1,468 Aircraft over Five Years
April 7, 2022 | By John A. Tirpak

The Air Force may be planning to divest 1,468 aircraft over its future years defense plan while buying just 467, for net reduction of more than 1,000 aircraft, Sen. Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) said during an April 7 Senate Armed Services Committee budget hearing.

Questioning Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III on the fiscal 2023 budget request, Fischer said, “Under this budget, the Air Force is divesting 369 aircraft this year and buying 87, which is a net loss of 282. The five-year plan projects buying 467 aircraft, and divesting 1,468, a loss of 1,001.”

Fischer’s numbers for fiscal year 2023 don’t match the ones the Air Force disclosed as part of its topline budget rollout, in which it said it would retire 150 aircraft, hand over 100 MQ-9 remotely piloted aircraft to another agency, and buy 82 new airplanes, for a net reduction of 170 aircraft. In the fiscal 2022 enacted budget, USAF was permitted to divest 159 airplanes.

The Air Force declined to comment on the discrepancy, saying only that the more detailed “J-books,” which provide programmatic line items, will be released later this month. Traditionally, the J-Books have been provided at the time of the budget rollout, but they were not provided with the budget last year or this year.

https://www.airforcemag.com/air-force-may-divest-1468-aircraft-over-five-years/

[Kamaji]

What are they getting rid of, and what are they buying?

[rebewranger]

One of the reasons the Civil War lasted so long was the North wasn't large enough or strong enough to hold off the rebellion members.  I am getting this sickening feeling we are working our way there again.

[Fishrrman]

"Divest"?

Sounds more like "downsizing... for surrender".

[Hoodat]

AQuestioning Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III on the fiscal 2023 budget request, Fischer said, “Under this budget, the Air Force is divesting 369 aircraft this year and buying 87, which is a net loss of 282.

That's 369 aircraft that could be going to NATO allies in exchange for Soviet aircraft being sent to Ukraine.  But DoD will simply trash them instead.

[Smokin Joe]

What are they getting rid of, and what are they buying?

Good Question. About the only real specific there was this:

Undersecretary of Defense Michael J. McCord said that $20 billion of this year’s budget is “catch up” to account for inflation, which rose steeply last year, “so we wouldn’t be behind” in the current fiscal year.

That is a self-inflicted wound.