United Press International,
WASHINGTON: The Air Force wants to retire the entire F-117 stealth fighter fleet by 2008 and cut the fleet of B-52 bombers in half, but increase the buy of its cherished F-22 fighter from 179 to 183 aircraft.
Program Budget Decision 720, the “Air Force Transformation Flight Plan,” outlines the service's plan to save more than $21 billion between 2007 and 2011 and direct that money into programs that make the Air Force a “more lethal, more agile, streamlined force with an increased emphasis on the warfighter.”
The closely held budget document, 14 pages minus its classified annexes, was approved by the Pentagon comptroller Dec. 20.
The Air Force has 52 F-117 fighters, a plane well known for its first-day-of-battle bombing runs. The service originally planned to retire the aircraft in 2011, but wants to push that up to 2007 and 2008, retiring 10 the first year and 42 the next, saving just over $1 billion by 2011.
“There are other more capable Air Force assets that can provide low-observable, precision-penetrating weapons capability,” states the PBD, obtained by UPI.
Retiring nearly half the fleet of B-52s — from 96 to 54 — would save the Air Force $681 million in procurement, operations and manpower costs, and allow the service to eliminate or reassign nearly 4,000 airmen.
The document also terminates the B-52s stand-off electronic jammer system, used to jam enemy radar signals to allow fighter jets and other bombers to penetrate air defense systems.
“The Air Force assumes risk … until transformational capability, not reliant on B-52 legacy platform, is identified,” states the PBD, obtained by UPI.
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