Retired Gen. Richard Hawley, former commander of Air Combat Command, commented at the CSBA forum that he still believes the Air Force can cut back its fighter force by a third because new fighters are at least 10 times more effective and capable than their predecessors. Hawley maintains that does not mean he advocates fewer F/A-22 Raptors. He urges just the opposite. He says of the Pentagon-imposed buy of only 180 Raptors, “We need more F-22s, not less.” Hawley asserts that the Pentagon could have gone with a somewhat smaller production rate, to provide more procurement flexibility in case of a surprise. “We get surprised all too often,” he said.
House, Senate Unveil Competing Proposals for 2026 Budget
July 11, 2025
Lawmakers from the House and Senate laid out competing versions of the annual defense policy bill on July 11, with vastly different potential outcomes for some of the Air Force’s most embattled programs.