Rep. Les Aspin, Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee-and soon to be Secretary of Defense in the Clinton Administration-introduces a portfolio of alternatives to the defense program, prosing cuts deeper than the 25 percent “Base Force” reduction already planned.
The Pentagon is requesting funds to buy 85 F-35s in its 2027 budget, 38 of them for the Air Force, a number that analysts say is not enough to reverse service’s fighter shortfall.
