Maj. Gen. Frank Faykes, USAF’s deputy assistant secretary for budget, says that the estimated cost to get cut some 40,000 full-time positions—shedding military and civilian personnel—could amount to about $500 million. However, he told attendees Tuesday at AFA’s Air & Space Conference in Washington that the savings potential is huge. For every 10,000 airmen cut, USAF will save a billion dollars, explained Faykes. He cautioned, though, that the Air Force would not know a concrete figure until the drawdown is complete, in 2009.
The rate of building B-21 bombers would speed up if the fiscal 2026 defense budget passes. But it remains unclear how much capacity would be added, and whether the Air Force would simply build the bombers faster, or buy more.
