Backtalk: Tough decisions needed to be ready for future conflicts

Tough decisions needed to be ready for future conflicts
By Robert F. Dorr - robert.f.dorr@cox.net

America’s Air Force is smaller than when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor.

On Dec. 7, 1941, the nation’s air arm had 354,000 troops. It now has 333,000, and Chief of Staff Gen. T. Michael Moseley wants to bring that number down to 316,000 by the end of 2009.

Moseley and Air Force Secretary Michael Wynne argue that the Air Force doesn’t have enough of anything, and that its equipment is too old. They say we need more fighters and airlifters, a new combat rescue helicopter, a new tanker and a new long-range bomber. They’d like to have more people if budgetary constraints on force size could be relaxed.

Today, almost everyone agrees, the Air Force is exhausted by Iraq and Afghanistan and frustrated by the increasing age of its fleet.

What the Air Force would have a tough time doing today is coping with some new world crisis abruptly touched off by a potential adversary such as Iran or China. We don’t have the people or planes for a new war. Our people are tired. Our aircraft are geriatric.

At the Wynne and Moseley level, only small steps can be taken to address these pressures. It would require help from the White House and Capitol Hill, but Air Force leaders could cancel some useless projects, such as the airborne laser program and the Joint Cargo Aircraft, giving control of the latter to the Army. And, as argued in this space last week, they should halt C-17 Globemaster III purchases.


Rest of article at: http://www.airforcetimes.com/community/opinion/airforce_backtalk_toughdecisions_071119/



uhc comment: Congress scrapped the F-22 and C-17 programs for 2009 --> http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=259&topic_id=5912