Tom Cotton Questions Air Force General on Fighter Jet Replacement and Modernization

Need for New Fighter Aircraft

• ✈️ The Air Force is flying some of its oldest aircraft, with plans to continue using them into the 2040s.
• 💡 Purchasing new fighters now could increase deterrence and improve the ability to defend the homeland while projecting power abroad.
• 🎯 The Air Force needs the right mix of high-end fighters for Indo-Pacific conflicts and other fighters that may not need to be as sophisticated as fifth or sixth-generation aircraft.

Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) Role

• 🤖 The Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) increment one is intended to augment, not replace, manned fighters like the Strike Eagle and F-16.
• 🤝 CCAs will work with existing and future manned aircraft, including the F-35 and F-22, to deliver more combat capability at a better cost point.
• ❓ It remains to be seen if CCAs can fully replace manned fighters in a one-for-one scenario.

Modernizing the Strike Fighter Fleet

• 📈 The current acquisition options for fighter jets are limited, with only a couple of airframes currently in production.
• 🇺🇸 The possibility of using newly built US-configured Block 80 F-16s to strengthen the strike fighter fleet is being considered, contingent on finding additional funds.
• ⚙️ Adapting export variants like the Block 70 F-16 to a Block 80 configuration and its integration with US systems requires further analysis of the defense industrial base capacity and production timelines.

Addressing Capacity Shortfalls and Maintenance Costs

• 📉 There are significant shortfalls in fighter aircraft capacity over the next decade.
• 💰 Maintaining older aircraft becomes increasingly expensive, and their mission-capable rates are not ideal.
• ⏳ The average F-16 in the current fleet was built around the end of the Cold War, indicating the age of the existing aircraft.

Expanding Air Force Capabilities Beyond Fighters

• ⛽ The Air Force requires a more rapidly modernized and capable air refueling force to ensure range and survivability, especially in the Indo-Pacific.
• 🛡️ There is a need for more airbase air defense to ensure base resiliency and survivability, particularly with agile combat employment strategies.
• 🎯 Increasing capabilities in munitions portfolios and ensuring lethality are crucial alongside platform capacity.
• ☢️ Modernizing the nuclear deterrent and defending against homeland threats are critical priorities that compete for limited budgets.