Not long ago the air forces now proposed to retire half the EC-130H fleet in order to provide more money for F-35s and the new heavy bomber. Ground forces quickly came forward with a mountain of evidence about how useful the EC-130H was in fighting Islamic terrorists. Faced with that the air force is now seeking to replace the EC-130H with a smaller but similar (in capabilities) aircraft. Some orders for F-35s are being delayed and the new bomber will take longer to develop.
I wouldn't mind this Air Force anti-ground force bias if they'd simply concede the mission and the money for the mission to the Army, and truly "aim high."
UPDATE: And don't forget the A-10 that was recently saved from Air Force plans to retire the critically needed plane:
Previously, the Air Force planned to fully retire all 300 A-10s by 2018. Congressional and public opposition — and the fact that the Pentagon has recently deployed A-10s to battle Islamic State and to deter Russia — compelled the Air Force to bump back the twin-engine jet’s final flight [to 2022]. ...
But a planning document the Air Force published in mid-February reveals that 2022 is the flying branch’s deadline for the last A-10 retirement, not the first. In fact, according to the document, the first A-10s — those currently with the Air National Guard in Indiana and the Air Force Reserve in Kansas — will bow out as early as 2017.
The Air Force brass is a persistent bunch, you must admit.
