Congress Forces US Milatary To Make Do

Below is a list of Old and getting older aircraft that Congress forces our men and women in uniform to use, sometimes to their peril. Why Because Congress refuses to purchase the latest and best. They would rather negotiate with terror organizations and states.

F-117A Nighthawk
Type: Stealth bomber/attack aircraft
Maiden flight: 1981Introduced:
1983Still active: 55

A-10 Thunderbolt II
Type: Close-air support attack aircraft
Maiden flight: 1972
Introduced: 1977
Still active: USAF: 143 A-10s, 70 OA-10s, USAF Reserve: 46 A-10s, 84 OA-10s, Air National Guard: 84 A-10s, 18 OA-10s
Total active: 445

F-15 EagleType: Air superiority fighter
Maiden flight: 1972
Introduced: 1976
Still active: USAF: 396, Air National Guard: 126
Total: 522

B-52 StratofortressType: Strategic bomber
Maiden flight: 1952
Introduced: 1955
Still active: 85
C-5 GalaxyType: Strategic airlifter
Maiden flight: 1968
Introduced: 1970 (C-5As produced between 1968-1973; C-5Bs produced between 1985-1989)Still active: USAF/USAFR: C-5A, 60; C-5B, 49; and C-5C, 2
Total: 111

KC-135 StratotankerType: Aerial refueling and transport
Maiden flight: 1956
Introduced: 1957 (produced between 1954-1965)
Still active: USAF, 195; Air National Guard, 251; USAFR, 84
Total: 530

F-16 Fighting FalconType: Multi-role fighter
Maiden flight: 1974
Introduced: 1978
Still active: USAF, F-16C/D, 738; USAFR, F-16C/D, 69; Air National Guard, F-16C/D, 473
Total: 1,280

B-1B LancerType: Strategic bomber
Maiden flight: 1974
Introduced: 1986 (100 B-1Bs built, 4 B-1As)
Still active: 67 active with USAF, 24 mothballed

U-2 ("Dragon Lady")Type: High-altitude reconnaissance
Maiden flight: 1955
Introduced: 1957 (about 86 airframes built overall)
Still active: USAF, 35 (includes 4 two-seat trainers), (The U-2 program is slated to be terminated by 2011, with its mission going to satellites and a growing supply of unmanned RQ-4 Global Hawk reconnaissance aircraft. Some members in Congress, however, have so far delayed attempts to retire the current model U-2S, maintaining that there is still no system available that can replace the capability of this aircraft.)

C-130 Hercules Type: Military transport aircraft
Maiden flight: 1954
Introduced: 1956 (still being produced is the C-130J Super Hercules, the newest version of the Hercules)
Still active: The over 2,300 Hercules variants built are scattered across the inventories of the USAF, U.S. Marines Corps, U.S. Navy, U.S. Coast Guard and the Air National Guard -- as well as 67 foreign governments. The USAF selected the C-130J-30 to replace its retiring C-130E's. Approximately 168 C-130J/J-30s are planned for the inventory.

That is how we see it

Egor