The Air Force Could Retire These 8 Fighter Planes and Bombers

Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Goldfein wants to fund new initiatives in connectivity, space, combat power projection, and logistics starting in 2021 — to the tune of $30 billion on top of what it is already using. One way to do that, says Todd Harrison, a defense budget analyst at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, is to retire $30 billion worth of legacy aircraft.

That is, get rid of the old stuff to make room for the new.

While getting rid of these aircraft isn’t the only way to make room for the new initiatives and save $30 billion, it is the fastest route to get there, and many of the retirements make sense. Some of the planes’ missions are obsolete, some of the airframes are currently being updated with newer models, and at least one can’t even fly its primary mission due to treaty obligations.

1. B-1B Lancer

A B-1B Lancer lands at Avalon Airport in Geelong, Australia, on March 1, 2017, during its continuous bomber presence mission in the Pacific. (Air Force photo/John Gordinier)

The B-1B is already scheduled for retirement in the 2030s, but retiring the program early could save up to $4.8 billion. At 32 years old, the Lancer is already struggling with a 50 percent mission-capable rate. It can’t even complete the missions for which it was designed as a nuclear deterrent. The Air Force’s fastest bomber, the one that carries the biggest bomb loads, can’t carry nuclear weapons under the terms of the 1994 START I agreement with Russia.

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