In terms of percentage increase, the Army was the winner, with its budget showing a one-year, 12.7 percent rise. (This does not include war-related supplemental funds.) Then came the Air Force (6.3%), Navy/Marine Corps (4.9%); and DOD agencies (4.6%). In terms of total budget size, the top spot went to the Air Force ($130.4 billion), followed by the Navy/Marine Corps ($127.4 billion), the Army ($111.8 billion) and the DOD agencies ($69.7 billion). The Air Force took 29.7 percent of the budget, the Navy/Marine Corps 29 percent, the Army 25.5 percent, and DOD agencies 15.8 percent.
As Air Force leaders consider concepts of operations for Collaborative Combat Aircraft, sustainment in the field—and easing that support by using standard parts and limiting variants—should be a key consideration, according to a new study from AFA's Mitchell Institute of Aerospace Studies.