US 2012 Budget for Aircraft Procurement

[Bevo]

2012 Aircraft Budget

• The Department of the Navy aircraft procurement budget is larger than the Department of the Air Force's
• The Navy and Marines – with a total of about 70% of the number of systems as the Air Force – is buying almost twice as many aircraft (227 vs 114). [AF Chief of Staff, General Schwartz, has said the AF needs to buy about 200 aircraft per year in order to make modest reductions in average aircraft age of the fleet.]
• The Army – with about 60% of the number of systems as the Air Force – is buying more than twice as many aircraft (236 vs 114).
• If the aircraft buy rate holds steady over time [which it never does], the Navy is on a replacement rate of about 17.5 years – which is respectable.
• The Army replacement rate is about 15 years, and it, too is respectable.
• The Air Force replacement rate is a little over 49 years -- which means that, except for retiring old systems, the average age will not get younger this fiscal year.