Air Force Chief Says 70% of ALL Combat Aircraft 'Non Combat Capable By July'

[unhappycamper]

http://defense.aol.com/2013/02/21/air-force-chief-says-70-percent-of-all-combat-aircraft-non-comb/?icid=trending2



Air Force Chief Says 70% of ALL Combat Aircraft 'Non Combat Capable By July'
By Colin Clark
Published: February 21, 2013

AFA Winter, Orlando: Imagine if someone told you 70 percent of all American combat aircraft would not be ready to fly in time of war by July. That's just what Air Force Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Welsh told some 600 people attending the Air Force Associations's annual winter conference this morning will happen should the automatic budget cuts known as sequestration occur.

This means 70 percent of all fighters (and MAYBE Remotely Piloted Aircraft and bombers -- except those for nuclear missions and aircraft in ongoing operations --we're checking) will be unready to go to war.

Welsh was careful to note that the service would protect all "named operations," so this doesn't appear to mean that troops in Afghanistan will go without air cover, but it should send a very clear message to those in Congress who continue to cling to entrenched positions that they risk gutting the combat capability of the military we spend so much to build and maintain.

The degradation will begin May 1, when flying hours will begin to get chopped, Welsh said.



unhappycamper comment: Don't know about you, but I would rather use the $$$$ for something useful. Like roads, bridges, teachers, policemen, food, housing, public transportation, etc. etc.