Americas Defense Meltdown - IT Acquisition Advisory Council

Winslow T. Wheeler • 229Table 5. U.S. Air Force Budget 152001 “Plan”(Extrapolated for2006-2009)2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 Total85.3 88.3 89.3 90.9 93.3 96.3 100.3 104.3 108.3 856.3“Base” Budget 85.4 95.3 106.9 113.7 120.4 127.4 130.3 136.4 143.7 1059.5“Base” Budget +0.1 7.0 17.6 22.8 27.1 31.1 30.0 32.1 35.4 203.2above 2001 “Plan”Total89.5 100.2 125.2 125.6 127.9 141.7 148.9 139.2 143.7 1141.9Appropriations(including WarFunding)Calculated WarSpending4.1 4.9 18.3 11.9 7.5 14.3 18.6 2.8 N.A. 82.4Figure 6. Air Force Active Fighter & Attack Wings (Equivalents) 21and Budget (with Trendlines) (Billions, FY 2009 Dollars) 22706050n Active Air ForceTactical Wing Equivalents$250200n Air Force Budget401503010020105000‘46 ‘52 ‘58 ‘64 ‘70 ‘76 ‘82 ‘88 ‘94 ‘00 ‘06‘46 ‘52 ‘58 ‘64 ‘70 ‘76 ‘82 ‘88 ‘94 ‘00 ‘06Source: National Defense Budget Estimates for FY 2009, Office of the Under Secretary of Defense(Comptroller) March 2008 and Air Force Historical Research Agency (Maxwell AFB) analysis,“Force Structure, United States Army Air Forces and United States Air Force.”The budget and force structure data for the Air Force for the post-World War IIperiod are shown in Figure 6 above.The tactical inventory of the Air Force is as small today as at any point in thepost-World War II period. From a 1957 high of 61 “wing equivalents,” it persistentlyhovers in the 21st century at 16 to 18. 18