Gen. Ronald Keys, ACC commander, says Air Force leaders will have to “rebalance our portfolio” of fighter and attack aircraft now that the ultimate F-22A buy seems locked in at 183 airplanes. The obvious move is to keep in service some aircraft that were to be retired. USAF could use service life extensions, re-enginings, upgrades, or some combination of the three, suggests Keys. It’s an issue ACC is already “struggling with,” but one, he believes doesn’t have to be solved overnight. “We’re not in extremis. …We have time,” maintains Keys, adding that USAF can carefully consider what has to be done and get the plan right, probably for the 2008 POM.
Navy CCA Program’s Shape Coming into Focus
Oct. 17, 2025
In announcing its Navy Collaborative Combat Aircraft contract, General Atomics has provided some clues as to where the service is heading with its version of an armed, autonomous fighter escort. It will likely be quite different from the Air Force version.
