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Air Force fighter fleet

USAF Wants to Dump Old Fighters. Congress Isn’t So Sure

June 21, 2023 | By Greg Hadley
House lawmakers approved three amendments aimed at curtailing Air Force plans to retire aging fighter jets as both the Senate and House began marking up their respective drafts of the 2024 defense authorization bill.

Part 1: Q&A with Lt. Gen. David S. Nahom on the Future Fighter Fleet

April 13, 2022 | By Abraham Mahshie and Tobias Naegele
Air Force Magazine Editor in Chief Tobias Naegele and Pentagon Editor Abraham Mahshie sat down with Lt. Gen. David S. Nahom, Air Force deputy chief of staff for plans and programs, for an exclusive interview that touched on everything from the the Next-Generation Air Dominance ...

F-16s to Serve Nearly Two More Decades, Replacement Choice Still 6-8 Years Away

April 4, 2022 | By John A. Tirpak
The Air Force will rely on the F-16 for the bulk of its low-end missions for nearly two more decades, deputy chief of staff for plans and programs Lt. Gen. David S. Nahom said. A decision on the sol-called MR-X which will replace the F-16 ...

Air Force is 120 Airplanes Smaller Since 2020, But Fighters and Bombers Stay About Level

Nov. 24, 2021 | By John A. Tirpak
The Air Force trimmed 120 airplanes from its fleet in fiscal 2021, gaining the most aircraft among its F-35 fighter squadrons and giving up the most from its B-1 bomber units, according to data provided by the Air Force. With puts and takes, the Air ...

Air Force Wants to Cut 421 Old Fighters, Buy 304 New Ones

May 14, 2021 | By John A. Tirpak
The Air Force plans to begin evolving its fighter fleet to one that can win a Pacific war by retiring 421 old jets and buying 304 new ones, transitioning away from the F-22 and A-10 to an advanced, sixth-generation fighter and an F-16 replacement in ...

New Force Design: NGAD Needed Soon, F-22 Sunset Begins in 2030

May 13, 2021 | By John A. Tirpak
The Air Force is preparing to unveil a 30-year fighter force design that calls for two new fighters—one for high-end fights and one for less demanding missions—a new way of providing close air support, and the retirement of the F-22 starting in about 2030, a ...

Strategy & Policy

July 1, 2020 | By John A. Tirpak
The big fighter gamble.

Latest News

Pentagon Awards $7.8 Billion in Contracts for Hundreds of New Missiles

USAFE, AMC, AFMC Could Lose 4-Star Commanders

Space Force Aims to Share Classified Threat Info with Industry 

Senate’s $852 Billion Defense Budget Saves Wedgetail, Keeps Space Force Flat

No Slowdown in Demand for Air Force Bombers, 4-Star Says

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