The core of the story was Congress proposed buying just one airplane and let the Army fly it on even number days and the Navy to fly it on odd number days.
Will the AF buy the F-35 in numbers it wants to? Based on the most recent aircraft buys that ain't going to happen. The F-22 buy was greatly cut. The B-2 buy was cut even more. The future bomber program has been around as a study program for 5 years now and its employment dates have slipped every year.
Why?
The AF wants to buy aircraft with no immediate operational need. Can you see the F-35 and B-2 using even a small percentage of their “combat capabilities” in Africa or Latin America? I mention Africa because that is where the war on terrorism has moved and Latin America stands an excellent probably of following Africa.
Yet, the AF is anxious to spend billions upon billions of dollars to fight a future war (like World War III in Central Europe) and nothing to fight the current fight in the Middle East, Africa and elsewhere.
“The AF wants to buy aircraft with no immediate operational need.”
That is a good thing. Fighting the last war is the error. We need to prepare for a possible future conflict with China, possibly a Russian/China/Iran Alliance.
“Can you see the F-35 and B-2 using even a small percentage of their “combat capabilities” in Africa or Latin America?”
Yes. But that isn’t their role. Most of the future Terrorism contingencies are going to be standoff attacks with both UAVs and Deep Strike Missions launched from the US - in conjunction with selective Special Operations missions.
“Yet, the AF is anxious to spend billions upon billions of dollars to fight a future war (like World War III in Central Europe.”
Peace through Strength.