The US Air Force wants $5.8 billion to build 1,000 AI-driven unmanned combat aircraft, possibly more, as part of its next generation air dominance initiativef-22
Lawmakers are increasingly accepting the Air Force's proposal to retire aging weapon systems, according to Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall. This shift in cooperation is a "much better chance" that the request to retire older F-22 fighter jets will proceed, after being previously blocked by Congress. Kendall noted that Congress finally budged on letting some A-10s go in fiscal 2023, and while the service was unsuccessful in getting lawmakers to sign off on a similar retirement for F-22s, momentum is building to permit the move. Air Force officials argue that the $500 million annually required to maintain 32 Block 20 F-22s would be better spent on developing the Next Generation Air Dominance fighter, which would take about a decade of effort and cost around $3.5 billion.
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