New Bill Would Add Fighters to Air Force, Improve Aircrew RetentionA new bipartisan bill would increase the minimum number of fighter jets the Air Force must keep and give service leaders more flexibility to buy additional jets.
The Airpower Acceleration Act, sponsored by Sen. Ted Budd (R-N.C.) and Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), is part of a trio of bills intended to strengthen the combat air forces. The other measures focus on improving incentives to retain trained aircrew and to increase career flexibility for certain in-demand Airmen.
“The future of American military dominance relies on maintaining our air superiority, and the path forward is clear—rebuild our Defense Industrial Base through restoring our combat aircraft forces and retaining experienced aviators,” Budd said in a release.
The Airpwer Acceleration bill would:
Empower the Air Force with the authority to award multiyear procurement contracts for the F-35 and F-15EX fighters, enabling the service to drive down cost by providing suppliers with greater predictabilit.
Extend until Oct. 1, 2035 the requirement that the Air Force must have 1,800 total fighter aircraft it its inventory. The measure had been set to expire on Oct. 1, 2026.
Set 1,369 as the minimum number of combat-coded fighters the Air Force must have by the end of 2030 and raise that figure to 1,558 by the end of 2035,
Authorize the Air Force to acquire up to 329 F-15EXs, nearly 100 more than now planned.
Christian McMullen, a spokesperson in Budd’s office, told Air & Space Forces Magazine that the bill is necessary because significant advances in China’s military capabilities, especially in sixth-generation fighter production, threaten U.S. air superiority. ..........
https://www.airandspaceforces.com/new-bill-usaf-fighter-procurement-inventory-requirements/
