The Air Force has diverted funds and supplies from ACC so its frontline units could be funded at something close to war-ready levels. The new budget does not address a number of major and urgent Air Force requirements. The most critical of these concerns military use of space. USAF now is grappling with mounting deficiencies in the aircraft fleets, because a decade of slack procurement has caused the average aircraft age to rise to uncomfortably high levels, with no assurance of relief any time soon. The following focuses on the budget year 2000, with longer-range projections provided as needed.
Figures refer to new budget authority.
Today's active duty component is by far the smallest in the history of the Air Force. When the Air Force was formed in 1947, it had 386,000 active duty people. In the late stages of the Cold War, end strength topped 600,000. The force continues to shrink. Pentagon plans call for the service to cut another 1,600 members this year and another 5,000 next year, dropping the total to 360,900.