To align with a proposed service reorganization to counter China and come up with funds for related modernization, the U.S. Air Force proposes to retire 253 aircraft in fiscal 2025.
The divestments include 65 Boeing [BA] F-15C/Ds that would reduce the fleet of 92 fighters to 27; 56 A-10s to take the number of close air support planes from 218 to 162; 32 Block 20 Lockheed Martin [LMT] F-22As that would reduce Raptor numbers from 185 to 153; 26 Boeing F-15E Strike Eagles that would decrease the fleet from 218 to 192; 22 RTX [RTX] T-1 Jayhawk trainers that would bring the fleet down from 75 to 53; 16 Boeing KC-135R/T tankers to reduce the fleet from 365 to 349; 12 Lockheed Martin HH-60G Pave Hawk combat search and rescue helicopters to reduce the fleet from 23 to 11; 11 Lockheed Martin F-16C/D fighters to decrease the fleet from 841 to 830; six L3Harris Technologies‘ [LHX] MC-12W Liberty turboprop reconnaissance aircraft to reduce the fleet from 13 to 7; six Lockheed Martin C-130H transports that would decrease the number from 112 to 106; and one EC-130H Compass Call that would result in a drop from four to three planes.
The Air Force would partially offset the number losses with the procurement of more modern systems, including a proposed buy of 42 Lockheed Martin F-35As, 18 Boeing F-15EXs, and 15 KC-46A Pegasus tankers in fiscal 2025.
Air Force total aircraft inventory in fiscal 2025 would be 4,903, 129 less than the 5,032 this year, according to a chart on page 43 of the service’s budget overview.
In fiscal 2024, the Air Force renewed its request to retire the 32 Block 20 F-22s (Defense Daily, March 30, 2023). The fiscal 2024 National Defense Authorization Act turned down the service request again. The Air Force has said that the Block 20s are neither suited for combat nor training, as their cockpit differs significantly from operational F-22s.