Growing US Air Force 24% by 2030 will cost $25+ billion per year

For FY2018, the Air Force requested a top-line budget of $132.4 billion in Air Force-controlled funding that invests primarily in Airmen, readiness, nuclear deterrence operations, space and cyber capabilities, combat Air Forces and infrastructure.

The US Air Force has requested a 24% larger force by 2030. This is a proposed increase from 311 squadrons to 386 squadrons.

A straight up 24% budget increase would be $33 billion per year in 2018. The US Air Force budget will increase from 2018 to 2030 because of inflation. Military equipment inflation has been the highest of sectors. US military costs have gone up faster than University tuition and medical costs. There are statistics for navy cost inflation but air force cost inflation is comparable.

The increased squadrons would need 40,000 more active-duty personnel – growing 12 percent, from just over 325,000 today to about 365,000. Just the staff and operating costs would add $18 billion per year. There will be other equipment procurement costs. It would easily be $25+ billion per year in current dollars.

The US Air Force gave a high estimate for the cost of the Space Force. The Air Force does not want Space operations to be separated from the Air Force. They claimed that there would need to be almost 8000 staff for the US Air Force and the total cost would be $13 billion per year. The proportional costs for 40,000 staff increased in the Air Force would be $3.6 billion per year.

70 thoughts on “Growing US Air Force 24% by 2030 will cost $25+ billion per year”

  1. Not only this instructor. A lot of Chinese people are displeased with the American plan to try to thwart China global domination massive efforts.

  2. Not only this instructor. A lot of Chinese people are displeased with the American plan to try to thwart China global domination massive efforts.

  3. Again, it isn’t the US that is China’s problem on that front. It is India and Japan. It is they…not the US…that have more to lose by China’s rise. The repercussions of not stopping or at least containing it is far, far more serious for them than for the US.

  4. Again it isn’t the US that is China’s problem on that front. It is India and Japan. It is they…not the US…that have more to lose by China’s rise. The repercussions of not stopping or at least containing it is far far more serious for them than for the US.

  5. hmmmm, I clicked the indifferent emoji because: While I love our military, and want to remaining having a top notch Air Force, I also know they waste massive amounts of money. So I would rather see some reform taking place to tighten the belt, getting rid of cost-plus contracts, is a major one.

  6. Great news. the more money the US spends on arms the less money they can put on being tech advanced China is growing 8% per year or so the US 2% or so The year of reckoning is getting close

  7. America is not winning its arms race with China. America may even be losing the arms race with China. America may not even be able to afford to stay in the arms race with China. America is already stretched, financially, technically and politically, to maintain its current tempo and geographic dispersion. Does she have higher gear, short of all-out war, and can she sustain it? China’s economy is 50% bigger than America’s and growing three times faster. If she applies a Keynesian stimulus to offset the trade war–but applies it entirely to the military sector–she will overwhelm the US in the West Pacific and make inroads further afield with nuclear subs. Above the fray, she already has the most advanced missiles on earth. Maybe she could double production and start televising live firings…

  8. hmmmm I clicked the indifferent emoji because: While I love our military and want to remaining having a top notch Air Force I also know they waste massive amounts of money. So I would rather see some reform taking place to tighten the belt getting rid of cost-plus contracts is a major one.

  9. Great news.the more money the US spends on arms the less money they can put on being tech advancedChina is growing 8{22800fc54956079738b58e74e4dcd846757aa319aad70fcf90c97a58f3119a12} per year or sothe US 2{22800fc54956079738b58e74e4dcd846757aa319aad70fcf90c97a58f3119a12} or so The year of reckoning is getting close

  10. America is not winning its arms race with China. America may even be losing the arms race with China.America may not even be able to afford to stay in the arms race with China.America is already stretched financially technically and politically to maintain its current tempo and geographic dispersion. Does she have higher gear short of all-out war and can she sustain it?China’s economy is 50{22800fc54956079738b58e74e4dcd846757aa319aad70fcf90c97a58f3119a12} bigger than America’s and growing three times faster. If she applies a Keynesian stimulus to offset the trade war–but applies it entirely to the military sector–she will overwhelm the US in the West Pacific and make inroads further afield with nuclear subs.Above the fray she already has the most advanced missiles on earth. Maybe she could double production and start televising live firings…”

  11. hmmmm, I clicked the indifferent emoji because: While I love our military, and want to remaining having a top notch Air Force, I also know they waste massive amounts of money. So I would rather see some reform taking place to tighten the belt, getting rid of cost-plus contracts, is a major one.

  12. hmmmm I clicked the indifferent emoji because: While I love our military and want to remaining having a top notch Air Force I also know they waste massive amounts of money. So I would rather see some reform taking place to tighten the belt getting rid of cost-plus contracts is a major one.

  13. Great news. the more money the US spends on arms the less money they can put on being tech advanced China is growing 8% per year or so the US 2% or so The year of reckoning is getting close

  14. Great news.the more money the US spends on arms the less money they can put on being tech advancedChina is growing 8{22800fc54956079738b58e74e4dcd846757aa319aad70fcf90c97a58f3119a12} per year or sothe US 2{22800fc54956079738b58e74e4dcd846757aa319aad70fcf90c97a58f3119a12} or so The year of reckoning is getting close

  15. America is not winning its arms race with China. America may even be losing the arms race with China. America may not even be able to afford to stay in the arms race with China. America is already stretched, financially, technically and politically, to maintain its current tempo and geographic dispersion. Does she have higher gear, short of all-out war, and can she sustain it? China’s economy is 50% bigger than America’s and growing three times faster. If she applies a Keynesian stimulus to offset the trade war–but applies it entirely to the military sector–she will overwhelm the US in the West Pacific and make inroads further afield with nuclear subs. Above the fray, she already has the most advanced missiles on earth. Maybe she could double production and start televising live firings…

  16. America is not winning its arms race with China. America may even be losing the arms race with China.America may not even be able to afford to stay in the arms race with China.America is already stretched financially technically and politically to maintain its current tempo and geographic dispersion. Does she have higher gear short of all-out war and can she sustain it?China’s economy is 50{22800fc54956079738b58e74e4dcd846757aa319aad70fcf90c97a58f3119a12} bigger than America’s and growing three times faster. If she applies a Keynesian stimulus to offset the trade war–but applies it entirely to the military sector–she will overwhelm the US in the West Pacific and make inroads further afield with nuclear subs.Above the fray she already has the most advanced missiles on earth. Maybe she could double production and start televising live firings…”

  17. Again, it isn’t the US that is China’s problem on that front. It is India and Japan. It is they…not the US…that have more to lose by China’s rise. The repercussions of not stopping or at least containing it is far, far more serious for them than for the US.

  18. Again it isn’t the US that is China’s problem on that front. It is India and Japan. It is they…not the US…that have more to lose by China’s rise. The repercussions of not stopping or at least containing it is far far more serious for them than for the US.

  19. Not only this instructor. A lot of Chinese people are displeased with the American plan to try to thwart China global domination massive efforts.

  20. Not only this instructor. A lot of Chinese people are displeased with the American plan to try to thwart China global domination massive efforts.

  21. hmmmm, I clicked the indifferent emoji because: While I love our military, and want to remaining having a top notch Air Force, I also know they waste massive amounts of money. So I would rather see some reform taking place to tighten the belt, getting rid of cost-plus contracts, is a major one.

  22. Great news.
    the more money the US spends on arms the less money they can put on being tech advanced
    China is growing 8% per year or so
    the US 2% or so
    The year of reckoning is getting close

  23. America is not winning its arms race with China.

    America may even be losing the arms race with China.

    America may not even be able to afford to stay in the arms race with China.

    America is already stretched, financially, technically and politically, to maintain its current tempo and geographic dispersion. Does she have higher gear, short of all-out war, and can she sustain it?

    China’s economy is 50% bigger than America’s and growing three times faster. If she applies a Keynesian stimulus to offset the trade war–but applies it entirely to the military sector–she will overwhelm the US in the West Pacific and make inroads further afield with nuclear subs.

    Above the fray, she already has the most advanced missiles on earth. Maybe she could double production and start televising live firings…

  24. Again, it isn’t the US that is China’s problem on that front. It is India and Japan.

    It is they…not the US…that have more to lose by China’s rise. The repercussions of not stopping or at least containing it is far, far more serious for them than for the US.

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