Vol. 43, June 2023
Key Points
Air Force fighter modernization is essential
given that the bulk of the service’s fighter fleet
consists of A-10Cs, F-15C/Ds, and F-16C/Ds
designed in the 1960s and 1970s. They were
mainly produced in the 1970s and 1980s, and
now they are averaging 41, 38, and 32 years in
age, respectively.
The Air Force’s fighter inventory is also too
small to meet real-world demand today. In
1990, the service had 4,556 fighters. Today,
it has 2,176. U.S. national security leaders
must concurrently address multiple threats,
none of which can be ignored without risking
severe consequences. Combatant commander
demands routinely exceed the capacity of the
Air Force’s fighter fleet.
The Air Force needs to buy new fighters at an
aggressive rate. Equally important, it needs to
procure the right mix of capabilities to ensure
the force will remain relevant over the long term.
A major portion of this modernization must be
met by robust F-35 acquisition. After significant
development and investment, the F-35 is on the
cusp of fielding an extensive array of upgrades
via TR-3 and Block 4 that range from improved
sensors and enhanced electronic attack
systems to the added ability to carry a broader
weapons portfolio and connect with more
actors across the battlespace.
e Air Force faces a severe ghter aircraft shortfall. e current inventory
is both small and old, a signicant problem given today’s threat environment.
e rapid military rise of China and an increasingly aggressive Russia, paired
with nuclear threats posed by Iran and North Korea, demand robust military
capabilities in an adequate capacity. is includes modern ghter aircraft, which
are crucial for the viable projection of joint military power.
e Air Force arrived at this precarious position over decades in which
multiple decisions left ghter modernization eorts curtailed and canceled.
Aircraft mostly procured in the 1980s Reagan defense buildup saw their lives
extended to cover the gap. Now, after four decades of hard use, their service
lives are coming to an end. ese aircraft are not viable against modern threats,
expensive to sustain, and on the verge of structural exhaustion.
e key to reset this is the F-35 and its latest updates: Technology Refresh
3 (TR-3) and Block 4, involving more than 80 individual upgrades added to the
aircraft over the next several years. e combination of stealth, sensors, processing
power, and connectivity is essential for success in the modern battle space. e
F-35’s price point of $80M per unit also means it is aordable in volume. e
Air Force has long wanted this model of the aircraft, and with TR-3 and Block
4 capabilities now in the nal phases of testing, the program is on the verge of
crossing a major threshold into the operational realm. is means any dollar
obligated from this point forward will be procuring TR-3-enabled Block 4 F-35s.
e modern threat environment and current force structure shortfalls
demand the Air Force rapidly modernize its ghter aircraft inventory at
scale. F-35s, especially those equipped with TR-3 and Block 4 capabilities,
will form a major portion of that capacity.
Abstract
Accelerating 5
th
Generation Airpower:
Bringing Capability and Capacity
to the Merge
by Lt Gen Joseph Guastella, USAF (Ret.)
Senior Fellow, The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies
Douglas Birkey
Executive Director, The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies
and Lt Col Eric Gunzinger, USAF (Ret.)
with Aidan Poling
Research Analyst, The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies
MITCHELL INSTITUTE
Policy Paper
