USAF Plans Massive Fighter Jet Expansion
(MENAFN) The US Air Force (USAF) is expected to procure hundreds of new fighter aircraft over the next decade to achieve President Donald Trump’s defense objectives, according to a report by Breaking Defense, which cites an unclassified force structure plan.
Presented to Congress this month, the plan outlines that the USAF must operate 1,558 combat-coded fighter jets to satisfy its worldwide commitments under Trump’s Interim National Defense Strategic Guidance (INDSG).
This target is nearly 300 more than the projected 1,271 fighters anticipated to be active by 2026.
The document indicates that the USAF aims to hit a temporary milestone of 1,369 jets by early 2030, while cautioning that funding constraints, industrial capacity limits, and competing modernization priorities could slow progress.
The report highlights the F-15EX and F-35A as crucial to achieving the fighter inventory goal. Boeing is expected to manufacture up to two dozen F-15EX jets annually by 2027, with potential growth to 36 per year if there is “additional funding for facilities.”
Lockheed Martin could, in turn, produce as many as 100 F-35As each year by 2030, described as the “foundation of the USAF fighter force structure.”
Yet, the report notes that sustaining this production level will require expanded infrastructure, extra funding, and solutions to hardware and software shortages affecting the F-35 upgrades.
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the
information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept
any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images,
videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information
contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright
issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.
Legal Disclaimer:
EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
