Advocacy

Challenges and Issues

Today the United States is challenged by a more competitive and dangerous global environment. The destabilizing actions of both Russia and China have placed the U.S. national and economic security at risk. Russia is modernizing both its conventional nuclear arsenals, while China is aggressively investing to overtake our military and economic advantages globally. At the same time, increased threats from mid-tier powers and the rogue regimes of North Korea, Iran, and violent extremist organizations require increased readiness by American air, space, and cyber forces to respond to a range of contingencies.

While the number of Air Force missions increased, the number of its personnel declined by 30 percent and the number of its aircraft declined by 37 percent since the 1991 Gulf War. Matched with insufficient and unpredictable budgets, the Air Force has faced the combined effects of decreased readiness and aging weapons systems and equipment. Forged against the backdrop of deterrence, readiness, and engagement, the Air Force has been in continuous combat operations for 28 years with a steadily smaller force, which has taken a severe toll on both weapon systems and, more importantly, Airmen and their families. The Air Force is just too small and too old for what our nation requires of it.

The Budget Control Act of 2011 imposed across-the-board limits on Defense spending through a mechanism called Sequestration which limited the ability of the Services to make smart investments in recapitalization and operations. While the temporary suspension of Sequestration for fiscal years 2018 and 2019 halted the immediate decline in military capability, the Defense Department still lacks the resources to grow its end strength capacity as required and budget sequestration is scheduled to return in fiscal year (FY) 2020.

Congress must fund the Air Force on time and in a sufficient manner to fix readiness issues and to recapitalize and modernize the oldest, smallest, and least ready Air Force in its history. The U.S. needs to increase investments in Research and Development (R&D) and in its Science and Technology (S&T) accounts to promote innovation and experimentation necessary for achieving and maintaining the air, space, and cyber superiority that this nation requires, and our warfighters deserve.