Posted on May 30, 2021
Air Force Hopes To Retire 201 Planes; Space Force Ask Up $2.2B
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While close watchers of defense budgets know the Democratic Party has long harbored a deep divide on nuclear weapons, there’s been much gnashing of teeth by proponents of the triad modernization, fearful that a President Biden might mean trouble for the nuclear enterprise’s need to modernize.
The RDT&E 2022 request for the Ground Based Strategic Deterrent is $2.6 billion, while the LRSO request is $609 million. Those are up from $1.4 billion appropriated last year for GBSD and $385 million for LRSO. In addition, the crucial new Nuclear Command and Control (NC3) system rises from $388 million appropriated last year to a request of $436 million.
The most shocking news to those who don’t follow the Air Force closely is something our colleague John Tirpak first reported: the retirement of more than 200 so-called legacy aircraft (old ones that can still fly) to help sink money into new generations of advanced weapons, such as Next Generation Air Dominance. The 2022 budget request is $1.52 billion for NGAD, up from $902 million appropriated in 2021. The money saved from retiring those older aircraft, an estimated $1.3 billion, will be hard to come by. Congress hates “losing” existing aircraft at bases in their districts, especially in any numbers.
The RDT&E 2022 request for the Ground Based Strategic Deterrent is $2.6 billion, while the LRSO request is $609 million. Those are up from $1.4 billion appropriated last year for GBSD and $385 million for LRSO. In addition, the crucial new Nuclear Command and Control (NC3) system rises from $388 million appropriated last year to a request of $436 million.
The most shocking news to those who don’t follow the Air Force closely is something our colleague John Tirpak first reported: the retirement of more than 200 so-called legacy aircraft (old ones that can still fly) to help sink money into new generations of advanced weapons, such as Next Generation Air Dominance. The 2022 budget request is $1.52 billion for NGAD, up from $902 million appropriated in 2021. The money saved from retiring those older aircraft, an estimated $1.3 billion, will be hard to come by. Congress hates “losing” existing aircraft at bases in their districts, especially in any numbers.
Air Force Hopes To Retire 201 Planes; Space Force Ask Up $2.2B
Posted from breakingdefense.com
Defense
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Edited 3 y ago
Posted 3 y ago
Responses: 7
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Sometimes I wonder who's side the Air Force leadership is on. Let's see; get rid of some more of those pesky A-10's, only the ground forces love them anyway; aah yes, Let's get rid of some of those old, but very useful KC-135's and KC-10's. We can replace them with an ultra expensive KC-46, which still can't do the refueling missions it was made for; and while we're at it, let's divest ourselves of some older F-15's and F-16's to make way for the F-35, an aircraft that is way to expensive to operate. Yep makes perfect sense!
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I think the last line says it clearly: "...shattered by parochial concerns." Many of those planes tge Air Force wants to mothball work their missions well but the brass takes to much direction from defense industry lobbyists. These generals are looking to score a post military gig and most of us know this is part of the problem, but only a part. Those same lobbyists are spending millions persuading congress that the latest greatest plane or system is what America needs. My view is America NEEDS to get rid of lobbyists. Especially from those companies that produce systems that have Chinese made parts as components of those systems.
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