High Risk

High Risk: Air

Combat Command boss Gen. John Corley declared in a June 9 letter to Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.) that, in his opinion, a fleet of 187 F-22s puts execution of the current national military strategy "at high risk in the near to mid-term." In a June 8 letter to Corley, Chambliss had asked for his "personal and/or professional assessment of the risk." Top Air Force leaders have characterized the risk as moderate to high. In his letter, Corley stated that ACC still holds to "the need for 381 F-22s to deliver a tailored package of air superiority to our combatant commanders and provide a potent, globally arrayed, asymmetric deterrent against potential adversaries." Corley also said he was not aware of any studies "that demonstrate 187 F-22s are adequate to support our national military strategy." He said the Office of the Secretary of Defense “did not solicit direct input” from ACC, but the command worked closely with USAF headquarters to ensure that ACC’s views were available. He added that ACC analysis, done in concert with Headquarters Air Force, “shows a moderate risk force can be obtained with an F-22 fleet of approximately 250 aircraft.” A number that is somewhat higher than the Air Force's current stated military requirement. Corley acknowledged the “tough choices” that must be made in balancing warfighting needs against fiscal realities.

6/17/2009

On the Record

Mission One
"The health and safety of our pilots—all of our pilots—is our utmost priority. Our operational flight surgeons and our medical staff interact with our pilots on a daily basis."
—Brig. Gen. Daniel Wyman, Air Combat Command command surgeon, speaking to reporters during a teleconference, May 9, 2012. He was emphasizing that the Air Force is doing all it can to ensure the safety of F-22 pilots as service officials continue to home in on the cause of why some Raptor pilots have experienced hypoxia-like symptoms in the cockpit like difficulty concentrating, fatigue, headaches, and nausea.

On the Record

Message to Congress
"If you give us force structure back, give us the money, too. Because the quickest way I know to a hollow force is to give us structure without money. Simple as that. . . . 'Make it work' is not a satisfactory solution."
—Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz articulating his message to lawmakers on the Air Force's Fiscal 2013 budget proposal during a speech at the Stimson Center in Washington, D.C., May 1, 2012. The Air Force leadership has proposed reducing force structure and personnel next fiscal year in order to maintain a ready and capable force as the service absorbs significant spending cuts.