Air Force Secretary Michael Wynne, offering a “little preview” of the Quadrennial Defense Review to be released next week, told AFA’s Air Warfare Symposium in Orlando today that the Air Force will press Congress for permission to retire old aircraft in very large numbers—amounting to 25 percent of all USAF fighters and 10 percent of its overall aircraft inventory. The aircraft in question are “less operationally useful” than USAF requires, said Wynne, and the service wants to save the money needed to overhaul and modify them, since the payback would be only “a marginal gain” in combat power. Wynne noted that lawmakers over the years have barred the retirement of an astounding 839 airplanes. (Wynne was too kind to say it, but the reason for this is the desire of politicians to keep airplanes, bases, and jobs in their districts.) He wants relief from this onerous oversight; no other service labors under such a burden. Wynne said he needs “the freedom to manage the fleet” in the most cost- and operationally-effective manner. “We are going to a smaller and more capable force,” he explained.
The Air Force plans to have its new Integrated Capabilities Command stood up by the end of 2024, Chief of Staff Gen. David W. Allvin said May 2, offering new details of one of the signature reforms announced by the service earlier this year. Allvin said around 500-800 Airmen will…