LegiStorm

Summary:

Tactical aircraft are a major component of U.S. military capability, and account for a significant portion of U.S. defense spending. In early 2009, the Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps collectively had an inventory of about 3,500 tactical aircraft. Current efforts for modernizing U.S. tactical aircraft center on three aircraft acquisition programs—the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program, the Air Force F-22 fighter program, and the Navy F/A-18E/F strike fighter program. For discussions of issues relating specifically to these three programs, see CRS Reports RL30563, RL31673, and RL30624, respectively. Air Force officials in 2008 testimony projected an Air Force fighter shortfall of up to 800 aircraft by 2024. Navy officials have projected a Navy-Marine Corps strike fighter shortfall peaking at more than 100 aircraft, and possibly more than 200 aircraft, by about 2018. On May 18, 2009, the Air Force announced a combat air forces restructuring plan that would accelerate the retirement of 249 older Air Force tactical aircraft, including 112 F-15s, 134 F-16s, and three A-10s, so as to generate savings that can be applied to other Air Force program needs. A key issue for Congress regarding tactical aircraft is the overall affordability of DOD's plans for modernizing the tactical aircraft force. The issue has been a concern in Congress and elsewhere for many years, with some observers predicting that tactical aircraft modernization is heading for an eventual budget "train wreck" as tactical aircraft acquisition plans collide with insufficient amounts of funding available for tactical aircraft acquisition. A May 2009 Congressional Budget Office (CBO) report examines several potential options for modernizing the U.S. tactical aircraft force. A second key issue for Congress regarding tactical aircraft concerns the future of the U.S. industrial base for designing and manufacturing tactical aircraft. FY2010 defense authorization bill: The conference version (H.Rept. 111-288 of October 7, 2009) of the FY2010 defense authorization act (H.R. 2647/P.L. 111-84 of October 28, 2009) contains a provision (Section 131) that requires the Department of Defense (DOD) to submit a report to Congress on the procurement of "4.5"-generation fighter aircraft. Section 1052 would require a report on the force structure findings of the 2009 Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR). The House report on H.R. 2647 (H.Rept. 111-166 of June 18, 2009) stated that the report on 4.5-generation fighter aircraft is to include, among other things, a description of the factors that informed decisions regarding the fighter force structure for the Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps. Section 1075 of H.R. 2647/P.L. 111-84 prohibits the Air Force from retiring fighter aircraft in accordance with the combat air forces restructuring plan until 30 days after the Air Force submits to Congress a report on various aspects of the plan. Section 1076 expresses the sense of Congress regarding Navy carrier air wing force structure. FY2010 DOD appropriations bill: The House and Senate Appropriations Committees, in their reports (H.Rept. 111-230 of July 24, 2009, and S.Rept. 111-74 of September 10, 2009, respectively) on the FY2010 DOD appropriations bill (H.R. 3326), include report language discussing the combat air forces restructuring plan and the projected Navy-Marine Corps strike fighter shortfall. On October 6, the Senate approved, by a vote of 91-7 (Record Vote Number 309), an amendment (S.Amdt. 2596) that prohibits the Air Force from retiring any tactical aircraft as announced in the Combat Air Forces restructuring plan announced on May 18, 2009, until the Air Force submits to the congressional defense committees the report that provides, among other things, a detailed plan for how the Air Force will fill the force structure and capability gaps resulting from the retirement of those aircraft.