WASHINGTON (AFNS) -- Air Force officials released force
structure changes today resulting from the fiscal year 2015 President’s Budget
announced March 4.
To ensure the service successfully transitions to a leaner
force that remains ready, the Air Force plans to remove almost 500 aircraft
across the inventories of all three components over the next five years.
“The FY15PB request favors a smaller and more capable force
– putting a premium on rapidly deployable, self-sustaining platforms that can
defeat more technologically advanced adversaries,” said Defense Secretary Chuck
Hagel, at a fiscal 15 budget preview on Feb. 24.
“As we built the force structure plan associated with the
FY15 President’s Budget request, we attempted to strike the delicate balance of
a ready force today and a modern force tomorrow, while working to ensure the
world’s best Air Force is the most capable at the lowest possible cost to the
taxpayer,” said Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James. “This force
structure plan balances capability, readiness and capacity and prioritizes
global, long-range capabilities and multi-role platforms required to operate in
a highly-contested environment.”
Air Force officials also said they plan to divest entire
fleets, such as the A-10 Thunderbolt II and U-2 and focus on the multi-role
aircraft that can deliver a variety of capabilities combatant commanders
require. Divesting entire fleets will
save the Air Force billions versus millions of dollars, because divesting
fleets also saves the costs associated with infrastructure, logistics,
personnel and base operating support.
“In addition to fleet divestment, we made the tough choice
to reduce a number of tactical fighters, command and control, electronic attack
and intra-theater airlift assets so we could rebalance the Air Force at a size
that can be supported by expected funding levels. Without those cuts, we will not be able to
start recovering to required readiness levels,” said Air Force Chief of Staff Gen.
Mark A. Welsh III.
The service also developed an analytical process to help
determine the proper mix of people and capabilities across the three components
to meet current and future requirements. Leaders from the active duty, Air
National Guard and Air Force Reserve, and two state adjutants general
contributed to the process with the intent of preserving capability and
stability across the total force.
“Wherever possible the Air Force leveraged opportunities to
rebalance personnel and force structure into the Reserve component,” James
said. “For that reason, at most Air
Reserve component locations where we divested aircraft, we replaced the
existing flying missions with a new mission and preserved the majority of the
manpower to ease the transition.”
Officials said this effort will help the Air Force maintain
combat capability within mandated budgetary constraints by using the strengths
and unique capabilities of the Guard and Reserve components to make up for
capabilities lost as active duty end strength declines.
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