In early 2003, CNN reported that nearly half the U.S. Air Force's fleet of RQ-1 Predators were shot down or crashed, according to Air Force officials and military records.
Despite the passage of 60 years since its inception, the B-52 remains the most common heavy bomber in the Air Force fleet.
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The Air Force's fleet of 75 Predators will likely be the first to carry ground-penetrating radar so new that it has yet to be included on any equipment.
The stealth drone was originally part of the Air Force's classified fleet and its existence was officially denied.
What is more, the MCS insistence that an air fleet of 180 C-17s would be sufficient is at odds with official Air Force statements made just a year earlier, when a force of 222 planes was deemed the lowest force level advisable.
Artillery was gradually replaced by tactical missiles in the defensive role, but the Air Force was too busy building a fleet of long-range bombers and supersonic fighters to be bothered with ground-based air defenses, while Army troops had a clear need for such defenses.
Keith Batt, a 75-year-old retired group captain in the Royal Air Force, was strolling up and down Fleet Street looking for an ideal place to catch a glimpse of the procession.
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"She was a pretty unique prime minister who achieved a great deal she brought back the self-esteem and confidence of the United Kingdom, " said Keith Batt, a 75-year-old retired Royal Air Force captain, who was strolling up and down Fleet Street, wearing a bowler hat and toting a large black umbrella, as he looked for a place to glimpse the procession.
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The Air Force discussions are focused more on whether the military's drone fleet is the right size and composition for future conflicts.
So with their aging fleet of barely 160 long-range bombers facing a growing array of operational challenges, Air Force leaders have reluctantly come to the conclusion that they need to buy a new bomber.
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The Air Force announced earlier this week that it is grounding a third of its active-duty fleet through September 30 due to a shortfall in funding driven by the need to bring spending into compliance with the deficit law.
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James, the Air Force deputy chief of staff for intelligence, said no recommendations for changes to the projected drone fleet have been sent yet to Pentagon leaders.
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