Published: February 24, 2008 11:23 pm         

Aging Air Force fleet must be modernized quickly

If you had a car that was 50 years old, even 20 years old you would have a classic.

It would be a classic you would baby, not drive all the time. You would take care of it.

Now, imagine you are the Air Force.

What would you call a 50-year-old plane, or even a 20-year-old plane? Well, our Air Force calls them front-line aircraft.

They are out there in Iraq, in Afghanistan and elsewhere flying missions every day.

All of that work is necessary to perform the tasks required in the wars in those two countries. And, that doesn’t include the myriad of other tasks Air Force planes must do.

But, all of that work comes at a price.

Frankly, the planes are wearing out.

The problem was highlighted in a big way in November when an F-15 with 5,000 flying hours came apart in midair during a routine training flight over Missouri.

Following the accident, more than 400 F-15s were grounded until they could be inspected and deemed safe to return to the skies.

Now, the Air Force says it needs another $20 billion a year for five years to help fix its problems with its aircraft.

That is the big issue. All of the military services say they need more money, as equipment gets worn out from constant use.

One problem for the Air Force is the airplanes designed to replace the F-15 and the F16, which are more than 20 years old and are the workhorses of the service’s offensive capabilities, are costly. The technology needed to make these new planes — the F-22 and F-35 — superior to anything else in the world is expensive.

There obviously are going to have to be some compromises made. But, something needs to be done.

Money needs to be found, and the Air Force may have to rethink the number and types of planes it needs.

One thing, though, must be remembered.

Our Air Force cannot be allowed to deteriorate to the point it no longer is the dominate power in the skies.