Boeing's F-15X fighter jet gains at expense of Lockheed F-35 in Air Force's 5-year plan
Source: Bloomberg
Boeings F-15X fighter jet gains at expense of Lockheed F-35 in Air Forces 5-year plan
The Air Force spelled out a five-year plan on Monday that's sure to set off fierce congressional debate, including over the plan to buy 80 Boeing F-15X fighters and slow the trajectory of Lockheed Martin F-35 purchases.
Originally published March 18, 2019 at 1:42 pm Updated March 18, 2019 at 4:06 pm
By Tony Capaccio
Bloomberg
The U.S. Air Force outlined a five-year plan that showed the extent of the Pentagons push to bring back Boeings F-15 fighter in an upgraded version, a $7.8 billion investment that would jump from eight of the planes next year to 18 each year through 2024.
While Lockheed Martins newer F-35 would get $37.5 billion over the five years, the more advanced plane would still take a hit. The service now plans to buy 48 F-35s each year from fiscal 2021 through 2023 instead of the 54 previously planned.
A week after President Donald Trump presented his proposed budget for the fiscal year that begins in October, the Air Force spelled out a longer-range five-year plan on Monday thats sure to set off fierce congressional debate, including over the plan to buy 80 F-15X models and slow the trajectory of the F-35. That debate already has begun.
As our nations only fifth-generation stealth fighter being built today, an investment in additional production and support for the F-35 fighter fleet is critical to ensuring the U.S. maintains air superiority, five senators said in a letter last month.
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