US Air Force working with oldest equipment in its history: Official
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A senior US Air Force official revealed that the US air service branch and Space Force are using some of the oldest equipment in their history.
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Three US Air Force F-35A Lightning IIs, assigned to the 4th Fighter Squadron from Hill Air Force Base (Archive)
Approximately six months after US President Joe Biden bragged that the US Air Force has "the finest fighting force in the history of the world," a senior retired air force official refuted his claims, stressing that the air service branch and Space Force are using some of the oldest equipment in their history.
Retired Air Force General Douglas Raaberg has lately provided a critical analysis during a press conference that was held at the Air Force Association (AFA) conference, eviscerating that the US air force wing has been experiencing severe funding issues, which could jeopardize the national security strategy.
"Our air and space forces of today are operating some of the oldest equipment in our history," Raaberg, current AFA executive vice president, said.
"The forces are smaller and inadequately funded to meet the requirements of the national security strategy," he added.
In the same context, US Army Chief of Staff Gen. James McConville said earlier this month that the US needs to replenish and upgrade its stocks of military equipment.
"We need to replenish our stocks and we need to replenish our weapons systems," McConville said during an interview at the Defense News Conference. "When we do replace them, we want to replace them with new equipment."
US military acquisition executives are working closely with the defense industrial base to project the sorts of items the Pentagon may need, McConville added.
US media reported late last month that the Pentagon is concerned that US weapons shipments to Ukraine are depleting the nation’s own stockpiles, particularly ammunition supplies.
Last week, it was reported that the US Army has grounded its entire fleet of Chinook helicopters due to engine fire concerns. The grounding coincides with the suspension of a number of military drills due to the depleted US weaponry arsenal.
The war in Ukraine has reduced US military inventories of certain types of ammunition, as the US continues to supply Kiev with billions of dollars worth of weaponry, according to the Wall Street Journal. On its part, the US Department of Defense has been hesitant to replenish its arsenal, raising fears among US officials that the shortfall might undermine military readiness.
It is worth noting that the United States Air Force has lately grounded its F-35A jet fleet, citing a potentially faulty component in the ejection seat that could endanger pilots in an emergency, a concern that has also grounded other types of military planes used for training.
