Speaking at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, Goldfein rattled off all the missions the Air Force must undertake: defe

As the US Air Force fleet keeps shrinking, can it still win wars?

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2024-04-25 02:00:04

Speaking at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, Goldfein rattled off all the missions the Air Force must undertake: defending the U.S. against attack, operating two legs of the nation’s nuclear triad, projecting air power around the globe and, at the time, defeating the militant group known as the Islamic State.

“Every one of those missions is a growth area,” Goldfein said. “And while these missions have been growing, our Air Force has been getting smaller. ... We’re actually the smallest Air Force we’ve ever been.”

At the time, the service had about 5,500 aircraft in its inventory. Since then, it has shrunk further and is now on track to get smaller still.

The Air Force expects its fleet of fighters, bombers, tankers, cargo planes, drones and other aircraft to dip below 5,000 in fiscal 2025, as retirements of older, worn down and outdated airframes outpace procurement of their replacements. Indeed, the fleet could drop to 4,903 total aircraft next year, but it may yet fall further.

“Right now, the Air Force is as big as it will be,” Maj. Gen. Dave Tabor, director of programs for the service’s Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Plans and Programs, said in a March 21 interview. “In light of the budget uncertainties, it’s really difficult to predict exactly what size [the fleet] will be, next year or five years from now.”