There's no fixed template for military aircraft that are retiring from service. Aircraft that are at the end of their useful life for an operator - either having become surplus to requirements, obsolete or outdated - can be shipped to the scrapyard, placed in storage or displayed in museums. However, there has been a market for the acquisition of certain types, enabling less developed air arms to procure what others no longer require to fill capability requirements. It lets countries with smaller defence budgets acquire equipment as it cascades from those that typically feature a larger global presence, such as the USAF. This market gives nations with more developed air arms the option of selling or donating used, proven platforms that still have some operational life left in them. As one arm recapitalises and drives new technology and manufacturing, another is presented with a cheaper alternative by procuring a fleet of respectable aircraft to cost-effectively modernise their own fighting forces.
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