Tactical Combat Forces of the U.S. Air Force

摘要

I appreciate the opportunity to testify on issues relating to Air Force tactical combat forces. As you know, CBO has recently completed a report for this Subcommittee on those tactical forces, and my testimony reviews the highlights of that analysis. In the near term, our analysis suggests that the Air Force can meet its key goals for tactical forces--expanding to 40 air wings, modernizing those wings with F-15 and F-16 aircraft, and replacing old F-4 aircraft--assuming real growth in tactical air budgets of between 2 percent and 7 percent a year through 1990. The percent varies with trends in unit costs for aircraft and support. Alternative approaches that would hold down costs include maintaining F-4 aircraft for longer periods, postponing the buildup to 40 wings, or buying a less expensive aircraft. In the longer term, the key issue is the cost of the new aircraft for the 1990s--the advanced tactical fighter (ATF) CBO's analysis suggests that it would be almost impossible to maintain the current 36-wing force in the next century-let alone expand it--if the ATF experiences the cost growth that has been common during previous aircraft developments. Only if the Air Force can overcome historical precedent and hold ATF unit costs to about 50 percent above F-15 levels--the approximate level of recent Air Force projections--would maintenance of the current force size be probable.