Summary: The Air Force's Supression of Enemy Air Defenses (SEAD) system is designed to take out enemy air communications, radar, and other systems that are directing surface-to-air missiles and antiair artillery. By the turn of the century, the Air Force plans to retire the aging F-4G "Wild Weasel" SEAD aircraft and eliminate dedicated SEAD units. Pentagon officials acknowledged in 1992 that this plan entails some risk because of the time gap between the retirement of the F-4G and the fielding of enough new SEAD systems to counter decreases in the capabilities of the new systems. The Air Force decided this year to field even fewer SEAD-equipped aircraft with potentially even less capability, further increasing the risk. Yet the Defense Intelligence Agency and the Air Force have identified significant threats that indicate a continuing need for SEAD. Air Force officials say that potential budget cuts and force reductions are driving the decision to eliminate single mission units, such as the F-4G force, because they compete for dollars with the Air Force's high priority F-22 and B-2 programs.
