The US air force cannot now take delivery of the planned number of F-35 fighter jets due to budget restraints, so current airplanes will continue to fill the gap for the next few decades.
The US Air Force may soon open the bidding on 72 new Boeing F-15s, Lockheed Martin F-16s or Boeing F/A-18 airplanes because of budget cuts which handicap the production of the required number of airplanes, according to Aerospace Daily & Defense Report.
F-15s and F-16s are now expected to serve until 2045, and will outnumber F-35s and F-22s through the late 2020s, the daily reported on Thursday.
As well as soliciting bids on new planes, the air force has asked for pricing on life-extension and upgrade options, including fitting in-service aircraft with new wings and rebuilt fuselages.
Full article: US Air Force Struggling to Come Up With Cash For New F-35s (Sputnik News)
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