The Air Force says it may retire a total of 272 aircraft in Fiscal 2008. This includes both fixed-wing airplanes and helicopters. Scheduled to go are: 17 B-52s, 24 C-130Es, 32 F-15s, 35 F-16s, 42 F-117s (completing the retirement of the Nighthawk fleet), 48 KC-135Es, 10 MH-53J/M helicopters, 63 T-37Bs, and one U-2. Originally, the service requested permission to phase out more than 300 aircraft in 2008. In Fiscal 2009, USAF has asked Congress for permission to phase out 182 aircraft.
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth vowed to undertake far-reaching reforms on the way the U.S. military buys weapons, promising a sweeping overhaul of the way the Defense Department determines requirements, handles the acquisition process, and tests its kit. The fundamental goal, which Hegseth underscored in a 1-hour and 10-minute speech…
