U.S. Military Forces in FY 2022: Air Force

 Key Takeaways

• Air Force active and reserve military personnel levels are essentially unchanged in FY 2022. Force structure is also essentially unchanged.


• Air Force official documents have ceased describing operational demands and have downplayed stress associated with current operations. This may reflect a reduction in operations as the Middle East conflicts wind down but may also reflect a strategic decision to shift emphasis to great power conflict.


• Aircraft inventories have stabilized in the near term. However, the Air Force is not buying enough new aircraft to maintain the inventory over the long term. Increasing procurement to the levels needed to sustain the inventory would require historically high costs.


• Fleet aging has slowed but not stopped. The average age of some fleets is high, at 45 years for bombers, 49 years for tankers, and 29 years for fighter/attack aircraft.


• Under the “divest to invest” concept, the Air Force will likely close this gap by retiring older aircraft and shrinking the force, possibly substantially. However, Congress has been reluctant to do this in the past.


• Unresolved is how the Air Force will meet operational demands with a shrinking fleet if these demands continue at the high level of recent years.


• The FY 2022 budget procures 91 manned aircraft but no remotely piloted aircraft, so the unmanned fleet has plateaued at 6 to 7 percent of the force.


• Nuclear forces require a greater share of the Air Force budget as Reagan-era systems reach the end of their service lives. Nevertheless, the Biden administration, despite rhetorical support for arms control, provides strong budget support for nuclear modernization.

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