Air Force fighter fleet too small and old, congressional researchers report

The Air Force’s fighter jet fleet is too small and too old, with new aircraft deliveries caught in industrial bottlenecks. Meanwhile, Congress has mandated that the service keeps planes it says it no longer needs or wants, according to an annual congressional review.

The report from the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service, released Friday, says the Air Force has failed to meet a mandate for a minimum number of fighter planes.

Air Force Secretary Troy Meink notified Congress on May 5 that the service had 1,098 fighters in its inventory, below the statutory requirement of 1,145 aircraft.

The report notes that, by some analysts’ counts, U.S. fighters could be outnumbered by modern aircraft in China, with that country producing up to 1,000 new Chengdu J-20 Weilong (“Mighty Dragon”) sixth-generation fighters by 2030.

The Air Force plans to accelerate aircraft purchases to reach a goal of 1,558 manned fighters by 2035.

“Potential considerations for Congress regarding the Air Force’s fighter force structure plans may include whether to support, oppose or modify the service’s goal,” the report said.

“The Department of the Air Force remains committed to transparency and close collaboration with Congress to attain the required fighter force structure and capabilities needed to execute the National Defense Strategy,” the Air Force said in a statement about the CRS report. “We look forward to continuing this constructive dialogue with Capitol Hill to ensure our Airmen have the right mix of capabilities, both crewed and uncrewed, to meet future challenges.”

The Air Force “operates a heavily used and aging fleet, with an average aircraft age of 27.4 years,” the report said. In 1994, the overall Air Force fleet averaged 17.2 years old.

Older planes mean more maintenance. In 1995, the fighter availability rate was 72.9%. In 2024, availability dropped to 53.9%.

Getting younger

The Air Force is trying to get a younger fleet by working at both ends of the timeline. It wants to buy 100 more F-35A Lightning II aircraft by 2030, the latest “fifth generation” fighter, which includes stealth characteristics not found on older jets like the F-16 Fighting Falcon, which rely on speed and maneuverability.

The service also wants to buy up to 24 Boeing F-15EX Eagle II fighters by the end of 2027.

Between those purchases and the development of the F-47 Next Generation Air Dominance Fighter, the Air Force says it can hit its goal of 1,558 fighters by 2035.

The F-47 would be augmented with “loyal wingman” drones — officially called Collaborative Combat Aircraft. These unmanned aircraft would work in conjunction with manned planes. 

According to fiscal year 2027 budget documents, the Air Force is seeking $1.4 billion in research and development funds for the CCA program. 

The Air Force and Congress do not count uncrewed aircraft when totaling the future Air Force fighter fleet.

“Uncrewed collaborative combat aircraft enhance operation of, but not replace, manned fighter aircraft,” the report said.

The report said the F-47 is a central enabler for future high-end conflict. Still, details on future quantities, timelines and other specifics are in classified reports that can’t be publicly analyzed yet.

“According to FY2027 budget documents, the Air Force has requested $5 billion in research, development, test, and evaluation (RDT&E) funding for the F-47 program,” the report said.

The report also noted that Congress should closely monitor the costs of the F-47.

“Advanced fighter aircraft development programs — such as the F-35 and the F-22 — ran behind schedule and over budget,” the report said. “How reliable are development timelines for the F-47? Is the Air Force incorporating any lessons learned from the F-35 and F-22 programs into the F-47 program? If so, which lessons?”

Challenges facing the Air Force include delays in delivering new aircraft, particularly the F-35A, caused in part by bottlenecks in production supply chains and spare-parts availability. 

The Air Force also faces “readiness issues” such as a shortage of pilots and ground crew trained to work on aircraft. 

Gen. James C. Slife stated in 2024 that the Air Force was 1,900 pilots short of the 19,136 the service said it needed for global requirements. The Air Force aims to produce about 1,500 pilots annually through the Undergraduate Pilot Training program. 

The report suggests Congress ask for a full accounting of how many pilots would be needed if the Air Force’s request for 1,558 manned fighters by 2035 is approved.

The Air Force told researchers that another factor impacting the age and readiness of aircraft was congressional mandates to keep set numbers of specific aircraft flying — even if the service had called for cuts or complete phase-out of some types.

A statute prohibits the Air Force from retiring F-22 Raptor aircraft or decreasing the inventory below 184 aircraft through Sept. 30, 2027, the report said. As of last month, the Air Force has 185 F-22s.

Congress has also prohibited the Air Force from retiring more than 51 F-15E Eagle aircraft and states that no F-15E aircraft may be retired in fiscal year 2026. Limits are set through fiscal 2028.

The Air Force has also been slowed by Congress in efforts to phase out the A-10 Thunderbolt II, a ground-attack aircraft flown by some National Guard units. The Air Force has stopped training new A-10 pilots and closed its main domestic maintenance hub.

The report cites a July 2026 Congressional Budget Office report that the size and age issue should begin to reverse as new aircraft arrive at squadrons and older aircraft are phased out. 

The average age of the Air Force fleet has “crested and will decline until the early 2030s.”