The Air Force has seen a spike in F-16 Class A accidents during the current fiscal year, but there hasn’t been a “common thread” or problem relating them, Chief of Staff Gen. Michael Moseley told the House Armed Services Committee Wednesday. Although USAF safety agencies are working hard to see what’s going on, Moseley said it might just be part of “the challenge of operating aging aircraft.” As we reported Wednesday, the 2007 mishap rate was the highest since 2001, when most of the accidents were linked to engine failure.
National Guard adjutants general from nearly two dozen states have signed a letter to Congress seeking multiyear funding for the Air Force to purchase between 72 and 100 new fighter jets per year to modernize the total force.The letter, sent to Congress last week, stresses the need for the Air…