Pentagon wants to get rid of dozens of F-22 . fighter jets

Plan for “retirement” 33 F-22 . aircraft Raptors of the US military to free up funds for research on new generation fighter designs, in the context of the US Air Force showing that upgrading F-22 Raptors is expensive. It is not necessary to continue using these aircraft in combat.

The Pentagon wants to send more than 30 F-22 Raptors fighter jets to the “aircraft graveyard” at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, Arizona, in the hopes of using the savings for research. Research and development in the “Next Generation Air Domination” program, Defense News reports. If approved by the US Congress, this move would reduce the total number of US F-22 aircraft from 186 to 153.

Plans to move planes to Virginia from Eglin Air Force Base in Florida have been shelved for more than three years. And the US Air Force claims that, as the older F-22s are now used for simple training, the cost of upgrading to be able to use it for combat is too expensive. Upgrading the F-22 will cost nearly $2 billion over the next eight years, money the air force wants to put into service with the newer planes.

According to the US Air Force, upgrading F-22 Raptors is too expensive, this cost can be for new generation aircraft. (Image: Getty Images)

The remaining F-22s will be based at bases in Virginia, Hawaii, Florida and Alaska, Air Force spokeswoman Ann Stefanek said.

Meanwhile, US Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall said he did not expect another F-22 to be “retired” anytime soon, calling the aircraft “a leading air-to-air warfare platform”. of the US military.

The effort to save money for research and development comes as the White House proposes the largest military budget in American history, at $813.3 billion in 2023, or $31 billion more than the previous estimate. approved for 2022. The proposal includes $682 million in military aid to Ukraine, as well as a 9.5% increase in funding for research and development, bringing the total to more than $130 billion. While the army, navy and marines could cut about 4,300 total personnel, the air force would add 200 new troops.

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