More Planes, More Airmen, More Flying Hours Could Be In The Offing

With the election just more than a week behind us, some experts say the U.S. Air Force may be a big winner when it comes to government spending.

Of course, everything is speculation. But some analysts feel that the incoming President's budget may mean more planes, lots more airmen, and more flying hours for the USAF.

The Air Force Times reports that in a speech in September on national security, Trump was very critical of the Obama administration for its defense policy."The Air Force is the smallest it has been since 1947," he said in the speech. He said at the time he would adopt a proposal put forth from the Heritage Foundation that would increase the number of fighter aircraft to at least 1,200. There are currently just over 1,100 mission-ready fighter aircraft out of a total inventory of almost 2,000.

General Merrill McPeak (Ret) said Monday that the defense department under Trump needs to focus on improving readiness and training, including more flying hours.

The Air Force has seen a steep decline in personnel since it's 9/11 peak of 376,616 in 2004. In 2014, about 20,000 billets were lost in in both voluntary and involuntary force reductions.

(Image from file)

FMI: www.af.mil