Details of planned structure changes to the US Air Force were revealed on March 10, confirming proposals for some drastic cost-cutting measures that will result from the fiscal year 2015 President's Budget, announced six days earlier. Over the next five years, the USAF plans to remove almost 500 aircraft across the inventories of all three components: the national guard, reserve command and regular air force. Previously reported plans by the USAF to divest entire fleets of aircraft were confirmed. It means both the A-10 Thunderbolt II and U-2 reconnaissance aircraft will completely disappear from the inventory, while the USAF focuses on multi-role aircraft that can deliver a variety of capabilities. "In addition to fleet divestment, we made the tough choice to reduce a number of tactical fighters, command and control, electronic attack and intra-theatre airlift assets so we could rebalance the air force at a size that can be supported by expected funding levels. Without those cuts, we will not be able to start recovering to required readiness levels," said Air Force Chief of Staff Gen Mark A Welsh III. Under the FY15 budget, the air force places major emphasis on its modernisation programme, with funding requested for the new Long Range Strike Bomber ($0.9bn), while a total of S11.4bn is requested for the aircraft over the duration of the five-year Future Years Defense Program (FYDP). The tanker recapitalisation programme is also provided for, with a request for S2.4bn to purchase seven KC-46A Pegasus tankers in FY15 and $16.5bn for 69 aircraft over the FYDP.
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