Director of the U.S. Navy’s Air Warfare division, Rear Adm. Michael Manazir, told Congress that the service needs 20 F-35Cs a year in 2020 to avoid a shortfall in fighters.
By U.S. Air Force photo by Samuel King [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
“We use 35 to 39 strike fighters a year just in utilization attrition. If you’re not replacing 35 to 39 aircraft per year you cannot sustain your inventory into the future. We look forward to working with Congress on acquiring enough airplanes to meet our strike fighter needs.,” Manazir told the House Armed Services Committee (HASC).
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