"The U.S. Air Force Has No Planes" – this is the headline with which we can expect news in Russia
What is known
According to Kelia, for the effective implementation of allThe Air Force needs three more squadrons of aircraft. Moreover, the shortage may worsen after the decommissioning of the A-10 Thunderbolt II attack aircraft.
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The US Air Force has 48 fightersquadrons and nine attack squadrons, which consist of A10 Thunderbolt II. Thus, the service has a total of 57 squadrons, which perform tasks designed for 60 squadrons. Moreover, in 2018, a study of the needs of the US Air Force showed that the service needed 62 formations. The new study is still classified.
At the same time, Mark Kelly notes that from the assaultthe A10 Thunderbolt II aircraft in future wars will be practically of no use in the event of a collision with an enemy with a developed air defense system. The US Air Force is already focusing on the need to decommission part of the attack aircraft, if not the entire fleet. In this case, the service will have to create another 12 fighter squadrons.
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The US Air Force is currently in need of 28formations for the Indo-Pacific region, Europe and the Middle East. Also, the service should have 16 squadrons inland. Eight squadrons are needed for rapid response to crises, and the same number for exercises and modernization.
Mark Kelly claims that in order to correctThe US should buy at least 72 fighters annually and accelerate the pace of development of unmanned systems like the MQ-28 Ghost Bat. But it is not certain that the Ministry of Defense will allocate funds for a sharp increase in aircraft purchases. The FY2023 budget includes the purchase of 24 F-15EX Eagle II and 33 F-35A Lightning II fighters, with an additional seven F-35A Lightning II options.
Images: Wikipedia, Air Force Technology