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US Air Force needs to “rebuild to win”, says deputy chief of staff of operations

21st March 2025 - 09:23 GMT | by Flavia Camargos Pereira in Kansas City

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A B-1B Lancer in flight. (Photo: US Air Force)

Aging aircraft, fewer platforms and a lack of replacements for retired systems has impacted the US Air Force’s lethality and training capabilities, according to the force’s deputy chief of staff for operations.

Lt Gen Adrian Spain Deputy Chief of Staff of the US Air Force for Operations has declared during a recent session at the Senate Armed Force Committee that “today’s Air Force is the oldest and smallest it has ever been”.

Nearly half of the US Air Force’s (USAF’s) inventory has already passed its design service life as Shephard previously reported. Currently, a number of helicopters and AEW&C, combat, ISR, transport and training aircraft having been in operation for more than three decades.

In the case of fighters, for instance, in the 1990s, the USAF had 4,000 jets which were in service for an average

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