Text Fwd: Air Force eyeing faster retirement for many jets

* Text informed by Lindis Percy on May 23, 2009

http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=62852
Air Force eyeing faster retirement for many jets
By Franklin Fisher and Kent Harris, Stars and Stripes
Pacific edition, Saturday, May 23, 2009

OSAN AIR BASE, South Korea — The U.S. Air Force in the Pacific plans to speed the retirement of more than 40 combat aircraft, three of them from Osan Air Base, as part of a restructuring plan announced earlier this week, officials said Thursday.

The remaining aircraft will come from bases in Alaska and Hawaii.

That same restructuring will see the Air Force in Europe lose 18 F-16s and possibly one of its three fighter squadrons.

In all, the Air Force would get rid of about 250 fighter jets from its inventory worldwide under what’s called the Combat Air Forces restructuring plan.

Some of the losses would be offset by the addition of the newest generation of aircraft to the inventory and by upgrades to others.

The move is in line with the Air Force’s aim of freeing up money for next-generation aircraft and unmanned aerial vehicle operations.

It would save $355 million in fiscal 2010 and $3.5 billion over the next five years, according to an Air Force news release.

In the Pacific, the reduction will affect Osan Air Base, Elmendorf Air Force Base in Alaska and Hickam Air Force Base in Hawaii.

"So this move is part of a larger effort to bridge our current force structure with a smaller, more capable future force composed mainly of fifth-generation aircraft," Pacific Air Forces spokesman Maj. Kenneth L. Hoffman said Thursday.

Osan’s 51st Fighter Wing would lose three A-10 Thunderbolt II jets, which are designed mainly for close air support missions, Hoffman said.

But it will retain 45 aircraft and receive upgrades to 24 of its F-16s.

Officials at Osan had no immediate details Thursday on the timetable for the change.

By next year, Elmendorf’s 3rd Wing will have retired the last of its 24 F-15 Eagles, but it has 36 F-22 Raptors that are being upgraded to the most modern, Block 35 variant.

Also by next year, Hickam will have lost its 15 Hawaii Air National Guard F-15s, but will receive 18 F-22s, with delivery starting in early 2011.

Within the time between the F-15 departure and F-22 arrival, Air National Guard units will deploy to Hawaii to maintain mission capability.

The Air Force will retire 112 F-15s, 134 F-16s and Osan’s three A-10s under the restructuring plan.

Five other aircraft had already been slated for retirement during the current fiscal year, which ends in October.

"We have a strategic window of opportunity to do some important things with fighter aircraft restructuring," the news release quoted Secretary of the Air Force Michael B. Donley as saying.

"By accepting some short-term risk, we can convert our inventory of legacy fighters and F-22s into a smaller, more flexible and lethal bridge to fifth-generation fighters like the F-35."

(An earlier version of this story was posted on stripes.com May 20)